The 1951 Refugee Convention vs terrorism

In the wake of the September attacks in the United States, governments, politicians and media worried that terrorists might try to use the provisions of the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention to mask their operations.

Some states rushed to introduce or strengthen anti-terrorist legislation. The U.N. refugee agency supported 'reasonable' additional security arrangements, but added that a 'proper balance' had to be struck with refugee protection principles and underlined that the Convention itself already barred terrorists under its so-called exclusion clauses.

ARTICLE 1F states:

The provisions of this Convention shall not apply to any person with respect to whom there are serious reasons for considering that:

a. he has committed a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity, as defined in the international instruments drawn up to make provision in respect of such crimes;

b. he has committed a serious non-political crime outside the country of refuge prior to his admission to that country as a refugee;

c. he has been guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Source: Refugees Magazine Issue 125: "The September Terror: A Global Impact" (January 2002). Download the complete issue (pdf, 1.2Mb) here