AMN / WEB DESK
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commended the countries that have welcomed refugees. In a message on World Refugee Day Guterres said that war, violence and persecution have forced more than 80 million people around the world to flee their homes and seek refuge in other countries.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the situation for them with their livelihoods wiped out, exposing them disproportionately to the virus, the UN chief added.
At the same time, refugees once again demonstrated their invaluable contribution to their adoptive societies as essential and frontline workers.
He called on communities and governments to include refugees in health care, education, and sport.
Guterres also commend the countries that have welcomed refugees, underlining that even more support from States, the private sector, communities and individuals is needed.
UN Action
1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol
Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol help protect them. They are the only global legal instruments explicitly covering the most important aspects of a refugee’s life. According to their provisions, refugees deserve, as a minimum, the same standards of treatment enjoyed by other foreign nationals in a given country and, in many cases, the same treatment as nationals.
The 1951 Convention contains a number of rights and also highlights the obligations of refugees towards their host country. The cornerstone of the 1951 Convention is the principle of non-refoulement. According to this principle, a refugee should not be returned to a country where he or she faces serious threats to his or her life or freedom. This protection may not be claimed by refugees who are reasonably regarded as a danger to the security of the country, or having been convicted of a particularly serious crime, are considered a danger to the community.
The rights contained in the 1951 Convention include:
- The right not to be expelled, except under certain, strictly defined conditions;
- The right not to be punished for illegal entry into the territory of a contracting State;
- The right to work;
- The right to housing;
- The right to education;
- The right to public relief and assistance;
- The right to freedom of religion;
- The right to access the courts;
- The right to freedom of movement within the territory;
- The right to be issued identity and travel documents.
Some basic rights, including the right to be protected from refoulement, apply to all refugees. A refugee becomes entitled to other rights the longer they remain in the host country, which is based on the recognition that the longer they remain as refugees, the more rights they need.