LEGISLATION FOR REFUGEES

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recently held a discussion on “protection of the basic human rights of refugees and asylum seekers in India”.
• Many participants raised the issue of India not having a specific law for refugees and asylum-seekers.
• The discussion noted that, though India has not signed the United Nations Refugee Convention, 1951, the refugees and asylum seekers are entitled to the rights in Articles 14 (Right to Equality ), 20 (Protection with Respect to Conviction of Offenes) and 21 (Right to Life) of the Constitution.

India’s Refugee Policy

• India lacks specific legislation to address the problem of refugees, in spite of their increasing inflow.
• India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the key legal documents pertaining to refugee protection.
• Moreover, the Foreigners Act, 1946, fails to address the peculiar problems faced by refugees as a class.
• It also gives unbridled power to the Central government to deport any foreign citizen.
• In spite of not being a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, India has had a stellar record on the issue of refugee protection.
• India has a moral tradition for assimilating foreign people and culture.
• Further, the constitution of India also respects the life, liberty, and dignity of human beings.
• The Supreme Court in the National Human Rights Commission vs. State of Arunachal Pradesh (1996) held that “while all rights are available to citizens, persons including foreign citizens are entitled to the right to equality and the right to life, among others.”
• Further, Article 21 of the Constitution encompasses the right of non-refoulement.
• Non-refoulement is the principle under international law which states that a person fleeing persecution from his own country should not be forced to return to his own country.

Need for a law on Refugees

• India frequently experiences a large influx of refugees. Therefore, a long-term practical solution requires that India make a shift from its charitable approach to a rights-based approach by enacting a national refugee law.
• A national refugee law will streamline refugee- status determination procedures for all kinds of refugees and will guarantee them the rights they have under international law.
• It could sufficiently address India’s security concerns, while at the same time ensuring that there is no unlawful detention or deportation carried out in the garb of national-security concerns.
• The bulk of the refugee population in India originates from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Myanmar and Afghanistan.
• However, only Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees are recognized as such by the government. They are provided protection and assistance directly through specific policies and rules formulated by the government

Way Forward

• Model laws on asylum and refugees that were drafted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) decades ago but not implemented by the government could be revised by an expert committee.
• If such laws are enacted, it would give legal sanctity and uniformity, ensuring the protection of human rights.
• If India had domestic legislation regarding refugees, it could have deterred any oppressive government in the neighborhood to persecute their population and make them flee to India.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT