II.1.1 Non-refoulement

Main Debates

  • Is the principle of non-refoulement applicable in cases of mass influx?
  • Is it applicable in international zones?
  • Has it become jus cogens?
  • Do certain persons fall outside the protection afforded by the non-refoulement obligation?

Main Points

  • Non-refoulement and different forms of asylum
  • Non-refoulement under the Geneva Convention v. human rights instruments
  • The absolute nature of non-refoulement
  • Access to protection

Treaties

International

  1. United Nations, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 10 December 1984, 1465 U.N.T.S. 85, Art. 3.
  2. UNHCR, Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 28 July 1951, 189 U.N.T.S. 150, Art. 33.
  3. OHCHR, Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, 4 October 1967, 606 U.N.T.S. 267.

Soft Law

  1. Declaration of States Parties to the 1951 Convention and or Its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, 16 January 2002, HCR/MMSP/2001/09.
  2. UNHCR, EXCOM, ‘Non-refoulement’, Conclusion No. 6 (XXVIII), 1977.
  3. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 19 (XXXI), 1980.
  4. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 25 (XXXIII), 1983.
  5. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 44 (XXXVI), 1986.
  6. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 50 (XXXIX), 1988.
  7. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 79 (XLVII), 1996.
  8. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 81 (XLVII), 1997.
  9. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 82 (XLVIII), 1997.
  10. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 85 (XLIX), 1998.
  11. UNHCR, EXCOM, Conclusion No. 103 (LVI), 2005.

Readings

Core

  1. G. Goodwin-Gill and J. McAdam, The Refugee in International Law, 3rd edition,(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), pp. 201–267. [G. Goodwin-Gill, The Refugee in International Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), pp. 117–155].
  2. J. Hathaway, The Law of Refugee Status, (Toronto: Butterworths, 1991), pp. 24–27.
  3. E. Lauterpacht and D. Bethlehem, ‘The Scope and Content of the Principle of Non-refoulement’, in E. Feller, V. Türk, and F. Nicholson (eds), Refugee Protection in International Law: UNHCR’s Global Consultations on International Protection (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), pp. 78–177.
  4. J. Hathaway, ‘Leveraging asylum’, Texas International Law Journal, vol. 45 (2009-2010) pp. 503 – 536.

Extended

  1. P.C.W. Chan, ‘The Protection of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons: Non-refoulement under Customary International Law?’, The International Journal of Human Rights, vol. 10, no. 3 (2006), pp. 231–239.
  2. G. Goodwin-Gill and J. McAdam, The Refugee in International Law, 3rd edition, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), pp. 268–277. [G. Goodwin-Gill, The Refugee in International Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), pp. 155–171, 195–204].
  3. W. Kälin, ‘Article 33, Paragraph 1’, in A. Zimmerman (ed.), The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and Its 1967 Protocol: A Commentary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), pp. 1327–1396.
  4. A. Zimmermann, P Wennholz, Article 33, Paragraph 2’, in A. Zimmerman (ed.), The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and Its 1967 Protocol: A Commentary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), pp. 1307–1423.
  5. Guy S. Goodwin-Gill, ‘The Right to Seek Asylum: Interception at Sea and the Principle of Non-Refoulement’, International Journal of Refugee Law, 2011 (3), pp. 443-457.

Soft Law

  1. UNHCR, Declaration of States Parties to the 1951 Convention and or Its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, 16 January 2002, HCR/MMSP/2001/09, preambular para. 4.

UNHCR Documents

  1. UNHCR, Intervention before the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the case between C, KMF, BF (Applicants) and Director of Immigration, Secretary for Security (Respondents), 31 January 2013, Civil Appeals Nos. 18, 19 & 20 of 2011.
  2. UNHCR, ‘Note on International Protection’, 7 September 1994, paras. 14–15, 30–41.

 

 II.1.1 Non-refoulementII.1.1 Non-refoulement

International TreatiesInternational Treaties

#NameSize
1Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, 4 October 1967, 606 U.N.T.S. 267.Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, 4 October 1967, 606 U.N.T.S. 267.Empty
2Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 28 July 1951, 189 U.N.T.S. 150, Art. 33.Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 28 July 1951, 189 U.N.T.S. 150, Art. 33.Empty
3Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 10 December 1984, 1465 U.N.T.S. 85, Art. 3.Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 10 December 1984, 1465 U.N.T.S. 85, Art. 3.Empty

UNHCR DocumentsUNHCR Documents

#NameSize
1UNHCR, ‘Note on International Protection’, 7 September 1994.UNHCR, ‘Note on International Protection’, 7 September 1994.Empty
2UNHCR intervention before the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the case between C, KMF, BF (Applicants) and Director of ImmigrationUNHCR intervention before the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the case between C, KMF, BF (Applicants) and Director of ImmigrationEmpty