The Human Rights of Refugees - Overview
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Amnesty International is concerned about the growing tendency of many governments to cut off refugee protection in every way they can think of. Demanding visas, indiscriminately jailing refugees at border points, withholding legal aid or social assistance, providing sub-standard legal proceedings for deciding refugee claims, negotiating international agreements to block refugee access to whole areas of the world - these are the new order of business. There is little regard for UN conventions and refugees.
Amnesty International members remind governments that refugees are the victims of human rights abuses. Refugees have the right to make their way to safe shores. They have the right to make their claim in a fair and impartial process. Real refugees don't leave home because of the good life here - they run from the horror behind them. They should be treated with respect.
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The international community agreed in 1951 that people who escape human rights abuses have the right to be safe. Amnesty International holds countries to their responsibility to make the right decision about each refugee's need for protection.
Amnesty is uniquely placed to effectively monitor how and whether governments protect refugees and asylum seekers.
Due to its international credibility, Amnesty is also well placed to highlight the links between human rights violations and the creation of refugee movements.
Amnesty helps to counter misinformation and prejudice that threatens asylum seekers and exposes unfair detention practices to which refugee claimants are subjected.
In addition, Amnesty provides information on human rights situations in refugee-producing countries, as well as human rights abuse faced by refugees during flight.
By campaigning to make refugee protection a human rights issue, Amnesty International can challenge states to live up to their international obligations.
Contact Us:
Contact AI Canada's Refugee Coordinators at refugees@amnesty.ca
In Ottawa, email ottawa.refnet@amnesty.ca
In Edmonton, email EdmontonRefnet@amnesty.ca
Recommended Resources:
Refugees have rights - An Amnesty International website with information about refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and the internally displaced.
International Agreements
Convention on the Nationality of Married Women
Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness
Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons
Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees
Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees