Legal Protection

Legal Protection

Based on the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, UNHCR’s core mandate is to ensure the international protection of uprooted people worldwide.

Documents and publications on RefWorld

© UNHCR / G. Amarasinghe

In this section:

Protection policy and legal advice

UNHCR promotes the basic human rights of refugees and ensures they will not be returned involuntarily to a country where they face persecution. We help them to repatriate to their homeland when conditions permit, integrate into states of asylum or resettle in third countries.

We also promote international refugee agreements, help states establish asylum structures and act as an international watchdog over refugee issues.

Documents and publications on RefWorld

An alternative for those who cannot go home, made possible by UNHCR and governments.

Handbook for Determining Refugee Status and Guidelines on International Protection

Practical Guidance for UNHCR Staff on IDP Protection in the Context of Disasters and the Adverse Effects of Climate Change

Your Guide to Protection Care Management

Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees

The Handbook was first published in 1979 and re-issued in 1992 and in 2019

Signing of the 1951 Refugee Convention

The 1951 Refugee Convention

The 1951 Refugee Convention is the key legal document that forms the basis of UNHCR's work.

Legal and Protection Policy Research

A series of legal research and protection policy papers issued by the UNHCR Division of International Protection.