India to enact law on refugee and asylum seekers

New Delhi, Aug 8: India does not intend to ratify Geneva's Refugee Convention of 1951 but will enact its own comprehensive refugee and asylum seekers' protection legislation as the government will soon take a final view on the Justice Bhagvati's draft in this regard, Home Minister Shivraj Patil informed the Lok Sabha today.

India has not signed the 1951 Geneva Convention on the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol on the plea that they did not address adequately the situation faced by the developing countries and provided no balance between rights and obligations of the receiving and source states.

Replying to queries during the Question Hour, the Home Minister said the draft model law, 'Refugee and Asylum Seeker Protection Act 2000', prepared by Justice P N Bhagwati was under active consideration of the government.

The model draft, inter-alia, defines persons who will be refugees, procedure for refugee status determination and rights and duties of refugees.

The draft has been prepared keeping in view the existing domestic laws and national security considerations.

UNI