UNHCR protests Chinese deportation of North Koreans
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today said it has protested to the Chinese government over the deportation of seven individuals to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), where they could face severe reprisals.
UNHCR last month recognised the seven as refugees, including a 13-year-old boy, after they made their way from North Korea to Russia, across Chinese territory. The refugee agency informed both the Chinese and the Russian governments about its decision to grant them refugee status. It also expressed readiness to resettle the group in a third country. But despite UNHCR's pleas, Russia deported the seven to China on December 30.
UNHCR then appealed to Chinese authorities to refrain from sending them back to North Korea. But on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry told UNHCR that the refugees had been sent to North Korea. The ministry did not specify when they were deported or how it happened.
"We are gravely concerned by the Chinese decision to deport people whom UNHCR has recognised as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention," said High Commissioner Sadako Ogata. She also urged the North Korean authorities to treat the seven deported refugees humanely.
Both China and Russia are signatories of the 1951 Convention - the cornerstone of international refugee law, which clearly bans "refoulement," or forcible return of refugees to areas where they could face danger or persecution.
In a letter sent to the Chinese government on Wednesday, UNHCR protested the violation of the 1951 Convention and fundamental humanitarian principles.
UNHCR has been in regular contact with Chinese authorities over the past two years in an effort to address the issue of North Koreans in China, some of whom definitely meet the criteria for refugee status.
UNHCR strongly urges China to refrain from fresh deportations of North Koreans in the future.
Related news and stories
The Global Compact on Refugees, explained
China can play key role in solving refugee crises - UNHCR chief
Chinese schools offer primary education for urban refugees
UNHCR chief calls on states to respect non-refoulement after North Koreans deported from Laos
UNHCR reaches Kachins sent back from China
UNHCR concerned about welfare of Kachins sent back from China
Your search for « North Koreans refugee » matched 804 results. Displaying page 7 of 90 pages.
-
UNHCR publication for CIS Conference (Displacement in the CIS) - In legal limbo: asylum-seekers and statelessness
1 May 1996 ... children of communist Afghan officials (including many orphans) and North Korean timber workers. ... Convention and/or the adoption of national refugee legislation poses a serious problem: as yet, ...... -
UNHCR Mid-Year Progress Report 2001 - Russian Federation
1 Sep 2001 ... ... UNHCR resettled 11 refugees from North Korea on emergency grounds. Local Integration: Self-reliance ... potential for integration in the Russian Federation, should they finally obtain refugee status. ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2004 - East Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview
1 Jun 2005 ... ... Challenges and concerns The number of North Koreans attempting to seek refuge and asylum in China and ... Hong Kong, SAR, remains a non-signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and thus lacks the legal ...... -
UNHCR Global Appeal 2006 - East Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview
1 Dec 2005 ... ... UNHCR continues to call for the issuance of appropriate national refugee regula- tions, and for increased access to North Korean asylum-seekers who may be in need of interna- tional protection. In ...... -
UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2001 - Statistical Annex
8 Nov 2002 ... Section B provides information on applications for refugee status ... 89.0 90.1 86.5 575.5 765.4 North America 1,179.2 1,105.8 ... Qatar - - 0.0 0.0 0.1 Rep. of Korea 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 Rep. of ...... -
Opening Statement by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the Fifty-seventh Session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme (ExCom), Geneva, 2 October 2006
2 Oct 2006 ... to firmly oppose all forms of refoulement and guarantee respect for international refugee law. ... The situations which I referred to last year - from Uzbekistan to North Korea - remain of grave ...... -
Bullet Point Summary of the Strategic Presentation on UNHCR's Operations in Asia and the Pacific, 26th meeting of the Standing Committee, 4-6 March 2003
4 Feb 2003 ... with the authorities the question of the humanitarian situation of North Koreans entering the country. ... tapped as a source of ideas on improving refugee protection, promoting durable solutions to ...... -
UNHCR Mid-Year Progress Report 2000 - East Asia and the Pacific
1 Sep 2000 ... ... up by the Gov- ernment. The unprecedented North-South Korea sum- mit held between 13-15 June could pave ... to support regional consul- tative mechanisms dealing with refugee and mi- gration issues. ...... -
Pakistan relief camp benefits from Korean cuisine
10 Nov 2005 ... explains, adding that the kitchen serves Pakistani food and has a Korean bakery. ... in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and North-West Frontier Province. The UN refugee agency is providing material and ......