Today is the 70th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, the international treaty that protects the rights of refugees and has enabled millions of people to seek protection from war and persecution around the world.
Some top refugee facts: did you know…
Who can claim asylum?
The 1951 Refugee Convention guarantees everybody the right to apply for asylum. It has saved millions of lives. No country has ever withdrawn from it.
Can countries return refugees?
The Convention sets out the principle of non-refoulement – meaning countries must not return refugees to a country where they fear persecution.
Where do refugees have to claim asylum?
There is nothing in international law to say that refugees must claim asylum in the first country they reach. A European regulation allows a country such as the UK to return an adult asylum seeker to the first European country they reached. This means that countries on the edge of Europe have responsibility for a lot more asylum seekers than others.
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