Refugees
Refugees
An Afghan refugee returnee from Pakistan at the Torkham border.
Who is a 'refugee'?
Refugees are people forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder.
How does UNHCR help refugees?
UNHCR protects refugees, advocates for their rights and works with stakeholders and partners to find long-term solutions so they can find a safe place to call home.
- Respond in emergencies: In an emergency, we ensure refugees can reach safety and are not pushed back across a border into danger. Together with partners, we help provide the basics for survival, including shelter, water and medical care, and advocate for their protection and right to seek safety.
- Safeguard their rights while displaced: While most people who become refugees want to return home, it is often unsafe to do so for years if not decades. We help host countries ensure refugees can access their rights to education and health care. We also help them access livelihoods so they can live with greater independence and contribute to their communities, which is what they want.
- Find long-term solutions: At the same time, we convene and work with the international community to find long-term solutions. This can include support to voluntarily return to their home country once safe to do so, integration into the host community, or resettlement and integration in a third country.
Refugees as partners
At UNHCR, we aim to work with them as partners, not people for whom we make decisions. We place their needs at the heart of every action and work to ensure they hold a meaningful role in decision-making processes.
Refugees and international law
The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol are the key legal documents that protect refugees. They provide the universal definition of who is a refugee and outline the minimum standards for their treatment. The cornerstone is the principle of non-refoulment (Article 33) which states that refugees have a right not to be sent back to their country of origin if their life or freedom would be at risk.
Countries that have signed the Convention are obliged to treat refugees according to the standards outlined. UNHCR promotes States’ accession to the Convention and helps governments translate it into national laws.