The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol are the key legal documents that form the basis of our work. With 149 State parties to either or both, they define the term ‘refugee’ and outlines the rights of refugees, as well as the legal obligations of States to protect them.
What was the purpose of the 1967 Protocol?
The 1967 Protocol removed the Refugee Convention’s temporal and geographical restrictions so that the Convention applied universally. Article 1 of the Protocol says that countries that ratify it agree to abide by the Refugee Convention as well – even if they are not a party to it.
What did the 1951 Refugee Convention establish?
What is contained in the 1951 Convention? It defines what the term ‘refugee’ means. It outlines a refugee’s rights including such things as freedom of religion and movement, the right to work, education and accessibility to travel documents, but it also underscores a refugee’s obligations to a host government.
Why was the Refugee Convention created?
The Refugee Convention was adopted at a United Nations conference on 28 July 1951 and became legally binding on 22 April 1954. It was originally designed to respond to the needs of European refugees in the years following World War II.
What does the Refugee Convention do?
The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees has created a system for providing protection to people at risk of persecution in their own countries.
What exactly is a refugee?
Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country. They often have had to flee with little more than the clothes on their back, leaving behind homes, possessions, jobs and loved ones. … Learn more about refugees.
What does it mean to sign and ratify one?
Once the treaty has been signed, each state will deal with it according to its own national procedures. … After approval has been granted under a state’s own internal procedures, it will notify the other parties that they consent to be bound by the treaty. This is called ratification.
Who does the 1951 Convention protect?
The 1951 Convention specifies three durable solutions for refugees: to return to their own country voluntarily (“voluntary repatriation”); to integrate in the country where they find themselves (“local integration”); or to resettle in another country (“third country resettlement”).
How do I cite the 1951 Refugee Convention?
An example is the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees: the Final Act appears at 189 UNTS 137, while the text of the treaty itself begins at 189 UNTS 150. The correct citation for the treaty is 189 UNTS 137.
What rights do refugees have?
Refugees must receive the same treatment as nationals of the receiving country with regard to the following rights: Free exercise of religion and religious education. Free access to the courts, including legal assistance. Access to elementary education.
Where the world’s refugees are Commonlit?
The UNHCR report, released in March, shows that Lebanon, Pakistan and Turkey hosted most of the world’s refugees as of mid-2016 — a combined total of 5.4 million. In Turkey, 2.7 million of its 2.8 million refugees have come from neighboring Syria, pouring into the country as a result of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
Is the 1951 Refugee Convention still fit for purpose?
The United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees is not fit for purpose. The 60-year-old convention was designed for an era we no longer live in; an era where the causes and trajectories of global migration were quite different to today.
How many parties are at the refugee Convention?
Countries that have ratified the Protocol agree to apply the provisions of the Convention as well. There are currently 148 States Parties to one or both of the Convention and the Protocol. The 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol are international legal instruments that countries voluntarily agree to be bound by.
Which countries are signatories to the refugee Convention?
As of 20 January 2020, there were 146 parties to the Convention, and 147 to the Protocol. Madagascar and Saint Kitts and Nevis are parties only to the Convention, while Cape Verde, the United States of America and Venezuela are parties only to the Protocol.
What is the UN refugee Protocol?
The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol are the key legal documents that form the basis of our work. … The core principle is non-refoulement, which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.