Context: The UK government's attempt to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda has been deemed illegal by the Supreme Court.
About UNHCR
- It leads international action to protect people forced to flee conflict and persecution and those denied a nationality.
- It was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War to help the millions of people who had lost their homes.
- It is part of United Nations Development Group (UNDG) which leads the action for sustainable development.
- It won the Nobel peace prize twice, in 1954 and 1981.
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (The 1951 Refugee Convention)
- It provides the internationally recognized definition of a refugee and outlines the legal protection, rights and assistance a refugee is entitled to receive.
- Article 1 of the 1951 Convention defines a refugee as someone who "owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of [their] nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail [themself] of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of [their] former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it."
- It is a cornerstone of refugee protection and a key legal document that form the basis of UNHCR’s work.
- The core principle of the 1951 Convention 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.
Note: India is not a signatory to 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.