For Your information
Who is a Refugee?
According to the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of the Refugees, a refugee is a person who-
have a well-founded fear of persecution on the grounds of...
-race
- religion
- nationality
- membership of a social group
- political opinion
is outside his or her country of nationality or habitual residence,
is unable, or unwilling for fear of persecution, to seek that country's protection or return there.
Extending the refugee definition :
Two regional instruments extend the concept of refugee to include:
a threat to life or security as a result of armed conflict and other forms of widespread violence which seriously disturb the public order
This extension of the refugee definition is found in
- 1969 OAU Refugee Convention (Africa)
- 1984 Cartagena Declaration (Latin America)
.... and are complementary to the 1951 Convention definition
Who is not a refugee?
Refugee status will be denied if the person concerned has committed a serious act which renders him/her undeserving of refugee status such as :
- a crime against peace, a war crime or a crime against humanity;
- a serious non-political crime outside the country of refuge prior to being admitted to that country as a refugee; or
- acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations
(Article 1 D, E and F of the 1951 Convention)
Rights of Refugees :
- Right to life, liberty and security of person
- Right to seek and enjoy asylum
- Freedom from torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Freedom from slavery or servitude
- Right to be recognised as a person before the law
- Freedom of opinion and expression
- Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
- Freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention
- Freedom from arbitrary interference in privacy, home and family
- Right to education
- Right to participate in the cultural life of a community
-Law Desk.
