United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Legal documents

Legal section
A former refugee woman is reunited with her brother in northern Syria. © UNHCR/B. Diab

Legal documents and information

On this page you can find important information relating to refugee status determination, Refugee law, regional documents, studies and reports, as well as links to other useful resources.

The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, together with its 1967 Protocol, constitutes the core legal instrument of refugee law, alongside the UNHCR Handbook, Executive Committee Conclusions and Eligiblity Guidelines.

Refugee law

Refugee law is the branch of international law which deals with the rights and protection of refugees.

Guidelines and Positions

UNHCR issues Eligibility guidelines and other refugee law related position papers in the context of specific refugee case loads.

Studies and reports

Studies and reports issued by UNHCR in Stockholm concerning various aspects of the regional asylum systems.

EU asylum law and policy

The European Union (EU) plays an important role with respect to asylum and resettlement issues inside and outside the Union, and EU law and practice has considerable influence on the development of refugee protection mechanisms in other countries.

» www.unhcr.org/eu

Observations on the situation of asylum-seekers and refugees in Hungary

© UNHCR

UNHCR's report on the protection environment for refugees and asylum-seekers in Hungary, in response to requests from governments in other European Union states who face legal challenges against returns to Hungary under Dublin II arrangements.

» Read the report here

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