Non-Refoulement
The principle that a state must not return a person to a country where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, or inhuman treatment. Enshrined in Article 33 of the 1951 Refugee Convention and Article 3 ECHR.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Non-refoulement is the principle that a person recognised as a refugee, or who has a well-founded fear of persecution, must not be returned to a country where they would face persecution. It is given effect in UK asylum decision-making through the Immigration Rules, which provide that an asylum applicant will be granted refugee status where, among other conditions, refusing their application would result in them being required to go to a country in which they would be persecuted on account of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.
The principle is not absolute: under Article 33(2) of the Refugee Convention, as reflected in the Immigration Rules, protection from removal does not apply where there are reasonable grounds for regarding a person as a danger to the security of the UK, or where they have been convicted of a particularly serious crime and constitute a danger to the community.
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.