Parties to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees: parties to only the 1951 Convention in light green, parties to only the 1967 protocol in yellow, parties to both in dark green, and non-members in grey

The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees is an international convention that defines who is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum. The convention also sets out which people do not qualify as refugees, such as war criminals. The Convention also provides for some visa-free travel for holders of travel documents issued under the convention.

History

The convention was approved at a special United Nations conference on 28 July 1951. It was initially limited to protecting European refugees after World War II but a 1967 Protocol removed the geographical and time limits, expanding the Convention's scope. Because the convention was approved in Geneva, it is often referred to as "the Geneva Convention," though it is not one of the Geneva Conventions specifically dealing with allowable behavior in time of war.

Denmark was the first state to ratify the treaty (on 4 December 1952) and there are now 147 signatories to either or both the Convention and Protocol.

Definition of a Refugee

Article 1 of the Convention as amended by the 1967 Protocol provides the definition of a refugee:

"A person who owing to a 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 his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.."

See also

• Refugee Law
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• United Nations Commission on Human Rights
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
• Travel Document

External links

• 1951 to Today (UNHCR)
• Full text of the Convention (UNHCHR)
• States Parties to the Convention and Protocol (UNHCR)

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