Irish Examiner view: Wealthy states must provide sanctuary for people in peril

Seventy years after the signing of the Refugee Convention, millions of people are still fleeing conflict zones, many in overcrowded makeshift boats and dinghies

Rescued migrants wait in the port of Ben Gardane, south Tunisia, earlier this month. Attempted crossings in the area by migrant smugglers' boats have risen sharply in recent weeks amid the summer weather, leading to multiple shipwrecks. Picture: Hamadi Sehli/AP

A former secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, who had to flee his home as a child during the Korean War, has urged wealthy states to rethink their “punitive approach” when it comes to offering refugee protection.

Seventy years after the signing of the Refugee Convention designed to protect those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution, millions of people are still fleeing conflict zones, many in overcrowded makeshift boats and dinghies.