Harri Sallinen

Intergovernmental Advocates of Refugees: the Refugee Policy of the League of Nations and the International Labour Organization in the 1920s and 1930s Harri Sallinen

Refugee problem bacame a subject requiring measures after the First World War when millions of refugees in need for protection and passports poured into Europe and elsewhere. The League of Nations together with the ILO had to take responsibility for coordinating the efforts of the international community on behalf of these destitute people. This work shows how the failure of the LON in its central task, maintainig the peace, has shadowed the evaluation of other operations of the intergovernmental community. The book describes and analyses how the refugee work was conducted succesfully during the Inter-war period despite the difficulties the LON and the ILO had to face. The substance of a succesful policy was guided by the refugee situations. There was continuation and persistence in this refugee policy throughout the existence of the world organizations. Huge numbers of homeless people were able to get a new life through the various creative solutions applied by the intergovernmental refugee regime. The innovative approach of the organizations should be a source of inspiration for everyone dealing with the similar challenges: the refugee problem is still among us!