India’s Refugee Policy:
India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and has no dedicated domestic refugee law. India has refrained from signing the Convention due to its narrow and Eurocentric definition of refugees, which excludes economic migrants and does not align with South Asian realities.Additionally, India is concerned that binding obligations may compromise its sovereignty, impact domestic security, and limit its ability to follow an ad hoc, humanitarian approach to refugee protection.Refugees from countries like Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka are governed under the Foreigners Act, 1946, without specific legal protections.States cannot grant refugee status, reinforcing India’s centralised, ad hoc approach, offering humanitarian assistance without legal recognition or rights.
