UN High Commissioner for Refugees

• 25 Aug 2025

Source: TH

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has temporarily suspended voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from India after arrests of returnees in Sri Lanka. 

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
  • About: UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency, established in 1950 by the UN General Assembly to assist people displaced after World War II. 
    • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland with operations in 137 countries. 
  • Legal Basis: Guided by the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol, which defines refugees and sets global standards for their rights and protection. 
  • Functions: It provides refugee protection, humanitarian aid, promotion of durable solutions (asylum, repatriation, integration, resettlement), and support to states in framing refugee policies under international law. 
• 1951 Refugee Convention & 1967 Protocol 
  • About: It forms the foundation of international refugee law, defining a refugee as a person outside their home country, unable/unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of persecution (based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or social group).  
  • Mandate: It upholds the core principle of non-refoulement, ensuring refugees are not returned to danger, while granting rights to housing, education, work, and legal protection. 
    • Refugees must respect host country laws, though those guilty of war crimes or serious crimes are excluded from protection. 
  • India and UNHCR: India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or 1967 Protocol. Refugees are managed under general immigration laws.  
    • Despite this, India has hosted major refugee groups- Sri Lankan Tamils, Tibetans, Afghans, Rohingyas and collaborates with UNHCR on humanitarian grounds.

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