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How did the League of Nations address refugee problems?
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League of Nations
Delegates attending a League of Nations meeting, c. 1930.
The League of Nations addressed refugee problems primarily through the appointment of a High Commissioner for Refugees, a role first held by Fridtjof Nansen beginning in 1921.12
The League’s approach combined administrative and material assistance to protect displaced persons. Key initiatives included:1
- Legal Protection: The League introduced the Nansen passport, an identification card that allowed refugees to travel and reside in new countries. The organization also worked to protect refugees from arbitrary expulsion and other injustices.31
- Material Support: The Nansen International Office for Refugees, established in 1931, provided loans to promote self-help and assisted individuals in securing necessary work and residence permits.1
- Case Intervention: During its tenure, the Nansen Office intervened in more than 800,000 cases, helping to reduce the number of refugees significantly.1
Following the rise of Nazism in 1933, the League expanded its efforts by creating a separate High Commission for Refugees Coming from Germany, which eventually merged with the Nansen Office in 1939 to form the Office of the High Commissioner for All Refugees under League of Nations Protection.1