In June 2024, 3.3 million refugees and people seeking protection were living in Germany, making it one of the world’s leading host countries for refugees. In paragraph 34, the Global Compact on Refugees, adopted by the international community in 2018, specifically refers to meaningful refugee participation: “Responses are most effective when they actively and meaningfully engage those they are intended to protect and assist …”.

However, refugee participation in international dialogues has been slow to develop. At the first Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in 2019, only Canada included a refugee advisor in its national delegation, and the overall attendance of refugees was 2.3 per cent. For the First High-Level Officials’ Meeting in 2021, Germany and the United States followed Canada’s example and included refugee advisors in their delegations. In 2023, the number of refugees attending the GRF increased to 300, representing ten per cent of the total number of participants, and 13 countries included refugee advisors in their national delegations, totalling 16 refugees. This positive trend, however, is far from adequate.

The participation of affected refugee populations in policymaking is not only a moral obligation of states but also a strategy for developing sustainable policy responses. The implementation of refugee advice to governments needs to move beyond its ad hoc nature and be implemented in a structured, transparent and sustainable manner to support effective policy dialogues and outcomes.

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