Theo James advocates for refugee rights using family history

Actor and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Theo James is using his family history to advocate for the protection of refugee rights and the 1951 Refugee Convention. James shared the account of his grandfather, Nicolas Taptiklis, who fled Nazi-occupied Greece in 1941.

Following the seizure of Athens, Taptiklis escaped by boat across the Aegean Sea to Turkey before traveling to Damascus, Syria, where he found refuge. After World War II, Taptiklis worked with the UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in a camp in Göttingen, Germany.

James warned that the international promise to protect those fleeing for their lives is currently under threat due to rising xenophobia, shrinking humanitarian aid, and weakening international solidarity. He emphasized that the lessons of the past must be used to defend the right to seek safety.