Refworld documents relating to the intersection between refugee protection and international migration, including legal, policy and background information. This "Special Feature" on asylum and migration is regularly maintained and includes materials on a range of migration issues as they relate to refugee protection and forced displacement, such as "mixed movements", maritime protection, and UNHCR's 10-Point Plan of Action.

Legal Documents Related to Migration

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights , adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination , adopted by General Assembly resolution 2106 (XX) of 21 December 1965, entry into force on 4 January 1969
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, entry into force 23 March 1976
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by General Assembly resolution 2200A(XXI) of 16 December 1966, entry into force 3 January 1976
• Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, entry into force 2 September 1990
• Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 15 November 2000
• Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 15 November 2000
• International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, A/RES/45/158, adopted by General Assembly resolution 45/158 of 18 December 1990, entry into force on 1 July 2003
• Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, PRNo.15A, adopted by ILO Conference on 16 June 2011 (not yet in force)
• Declaration on the Human Rights of Individuals who are not Nationals of the Country in which They Live , adopted by General Assembly resolution 40/144 of 13 December 1985
• CCPR General Comment No. 15: The Position of Aliens Under the Covenant, Adopted at the Twenty-seventh session of the Human Rights Committee, on 11 April 1986
• CRC General Comment No. 6 (2005): Treatment of Unaccompanied and Separated Children Outside their Country of Origin,CRC/GC/2005/6, adopted during the 39th session - on 3 June 2005

Selected Case Law

• Plaintiff M70/2011 v. Minister for Immigration and Citizenship; and Plaintiff M106 of 2011 v. Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Australia: High Court, [2011] HCA 32, 31 August 2011
• Hirsi Jamaa and Others v. Italy, European Court of Human Rights, Application no. 27765/09, 23 February 2012
• N. S. (C 411/10) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department and M. E. (C 493/10) and others v. Refugee Applications Commissioner, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, European Court of Justice, AC-411/10 and C-493/10, 21 December 2011
• M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece, European Court of Human Rights, AC-411/10 and C-493/10, 21 December 2011

Refugee Protection and International Migration - UNHCR's 10-Point Plan of Action & Related Tools

• Refugee Protection and International Migration - Trends August 2013-July 2014, UNHCR, November 2014
• Summary Report - UNHCR Field Consultations on Refugee Protection and International Migration, 20 November 2013 (go to the Protection Manual internal - C.1. Asylum-general)
• UNHCR Report on UN GA High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development 2013, UNHCR, 4 October 2013 (go to the Protection Manual internal - C.3. Asylum / Migration nexus)
• UNHCR Update on Refugee Protection and International Migration (September 2011 - September 2012), UNHCR, 3 October 2012 (go to the Protection Manual internal - C.3. Asylum / Migration nexus)
• Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration: A 10-Point Plan of Action, UNHCR, Rev.1, 17 January 2007
• Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration: The 10-Point Plan in action, UNHCR, February 2011
• Refugee Protection and International Migration: Achievements, Challenges and Lessons Learned from UNHCR's 10-Point Plan Project, UNHCR, January 2012
• Regional Conferences on Refugee Protection and International Migration in Central America, Western Africa, Eastern Africa and Asia - Selected Conference Materials, UNHCR, June 2011

Protection at Sea

• High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges: Protection at Sea - Background Paper, UNHCR, 11 November 2014
• Global Initiative on Protection at Sea, UNHCR, 1 May 2014 (also available in French)
• Advisory Opinion on the Extraterritorial Application of Non-Refoulement Obligations under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, UNHCR, 26 January 2007
• Rescue at Sea, Stowaways and Maritime Interception: Selected Reference Materials, 2nd Edition, December 2011
• Refugees and Asylum-Seekers in Distress at Sea - how best to respond? Expert Meeting, Djibouti, 8 - 10 November 2011, Summary Conclusions, UNHCR, 5 December 2011
• Refugees and Asylum-Seekers in Distress at Sea - how best to respond?, Expert Meeting, Djibouti, 8 - 10 November 2011, Background Paper, UNHCR, October 2011
• Protection Policy Paper: Maritime interception operations and the processing of international protection claims: legal standards and policy considerations with respect to extraterritorial processing,UNHCR, November 2010
• Rescue at Sea. A Guide to Principles and Practice as Applied to Refugees and Migrants, UNHCR, IMO and ICS, January 2015
• The treatment of persons rescued at sea : conclusions and recommendations from recent meetings and expert round tables convened by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees : report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, A/AC.259/17, 11 April 2008
• Advisory Opinion on the Extraterritorial Application of Non-Refoulement Obligations under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, UNHCR, 26 January 2007

Irregular Secondary Movements

• Guidance Note on bilateral and/or multilateral transfer arrangements of asylum-seekers, UNHCR, May 2013
• Chapter 8 of Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration: The 10-Point Plan in action, UNHCR, February 2011
• Convention Plus Core Group on Addressing Irregular Secondary Movements of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers: Joint Statement by the Co-Chairs, UNHCR, FORUM/2005/7, 25 June 2004
• Convention Plus: Basic Propositions on Irregular Secondary Movements, UNHCR, 25 June 2004
• Convention Plus: Issues Paper Submitted by UNHCR on Addressing Irregular Secondary Movements of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers, UNHCR, FORUM/CG/SM/03, 11 March 2004
• Informal Record: Open Meeting of States and Interested Parties on Secondary, Irregular Movements of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers (Geneva, 16 December 2003), UNHCR, FORUM/CG/SM/01, 21 December 2003
• Summary Conclusions on the Concept of "Effective Protection" in the Context of Secondary Movements of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers (Lisbon Expert Roundtable, 9-10 December 2002), UNHCR, February 2003
• Global Consultations on International Protection/Third Track: Asylum Processes (Fair and Efficient Asylum Procedures), UNHCR, EC/GC/01/12, 31 May 2001

International Cooperation and Regional Approaches

• Bali Declaration on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons, and Related Transnational Crime, The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, 23 March 2016
• Regional Conference on Asylum and Migration, 11-13 November 2013 Sana'a, Republic of Yemen: External Report, Regional Conference on Asylum and Migration, 11-13 November 2013, 13 January 2015
• Co-chairs' Summary: International Workshop on the Protection of Irregular Movements of Persons at Sea Jakarta, Indonesia, 21- 22 April 2014, 22 April 2014
• Co-chairs' Summary: International Workshop on the Protection of Irregular Movements of Persons at Sea Jakarta, Indonesia, 21- 22 April 2014, 22 April 2014
• Co-Chairs' Summary : "Mapping Disembarkation Options: Towards Strengthening Cooperation in Managing Irregular Movements by Sea," 3-4 March 2014 Bangkok, Thailand, 4 March 2014
• Jakarta Declaration on Addressing Irregular Movement of Persons, 20 August 2013
• Caribbean Regional Conference on the Protection of Vulnerable Persons in Mixed Migration Flows - Promoting Cooperation and Identification of Good Practices, UNHCR, Nassau, The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, 22-23 May 2013, Summary Report, 23 May 2013
• Caribbean Regional Conference on the Protection of Vulnerable Persons in Mixed Migration Flows, Promoting Cooperation and Identification of Good Practices : Conference Conclusions, UNHCR, Nassau, The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, 22-23 May 2013, 23 May 2013
• Co-Chairs' Summary: Regional Roundtable on Irregular Movements by Sea in the Asia- Pacific Region, UNHCR, Jakarta, Indonesia, 18-20 March 2013, 20 March 2013
• International Cooperation to Share Burdens and Responsibilities, Expert Meeting, Amman, Jordan, 27-28 June 2011, Summary Conclusions, UNHCR, June 2011
• International Cooperation to Share Burden and Responsibilities, Expert Meeting, Amman, Jordan, 27-28 June 2011, Discussion Paper, UNHCR, June 2011
• Regional Cooperative Approach to Address Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Irregular Movement, UNHCR, November 2011
• Co-operation to Address the Irregular Movement of Asylum-Seekers and Refugees: Elements for an International Framework, UNHCR, 17 April 2003

Other UNHCR Policy Documents Related to Migration Issues

• Smuggling and Trafficking from the East of Africa : Executive Summary, UNHCR, March 2013
• Labour Mobility for Refugees : Workshop in Geneva, 11 - 12 September 2012 - Summary Conclusions, UNHCR & ILO, 25 October 2012
• Commemorating the Refugee and Statelessness Conventions - A Compilation of Summary Conclusions from UNHCR's Expert Meetings, UNHCR, May 2011
• Protection Policy Paper: The return of persons found not to be in need of international protection to their countries of origin: UNHCR's role, UNHCR, November 2010
• Chairman's Summary, 12 December 2007 (High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges (11-12 December 2007), Theme: Refugee Protection, Durable Solutions and International Migration), UNHCR, 21 January 2008
• Refugee Protection and Durable Solutions in the Context of International Migration, UNHCR, UNHCR/DPC/2007/Doc. 02, 19 November 2007
• "Are Refugees Migrants? A Dangerous Confusion". Speech by Ms. Erika Feller, Director of the Department of International Protection, SID lecture series "Migration and Development: Challenges for a World on the Move" (Amsterdam, 27 January 2004), UNHCR, 27 January 2004
• Global Consultations on International Protection/Third Track: Refugee Protection and Migration Control: Perspectives from UNHCR and IOM, UNHCR and IOM, EC/GC/01/11, 31 May 2001

UNHCR ExCom and Standing Committee

• Interception of Asylum-Seekers and Refugees: the International Framework and Recommendations for a Comprehensive Approach, UNHCR, EC/50/SC/CRP.17, 9 June 2000
• A Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions, UNHCR, 6th edition, June 2011
• Asylum-Seekers at Sea/Rescue at Sea
• Interception
• Irregular Movement of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers from a Country in which they had Already Found Protection
• Migration
• Return of Persons Found not to be in Need of International Protection
• Smuggling and Trafficking

UNHCR Research

• Long, Katy, In harms way: the irregular movement of migrants to Southern Africa from the Horn and Great Lakes regions, UNHCR New Issues in Refugee Research: Research Paper No. 200, January 2011
• Long, Katy, Extending protection? Labour migration and durable solutions for refugees, UNHCR New Issues in Refugee Research: Research Paper No. 176, October 2009
• Crisp, Jeff, Beyond the nexus: UNHCR's evolving perspective on refugee protection and international migration, UNHCR New Issues in Refugee Research: Research Paper No. 155, 30 April 2008
• Secondary Refugee Movements and the Return of Asylum Seekers to Third Countries: The Meaning of Effective Protection, UNHCR, PPLA/2003/01, February 2003

UNHCR Training

• Protection Training Manual for European Border and Entry Officials, UNHCR, 1 April 2011

Other Policy Documents Related to Migration Issues

• Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights at International Borders : Conference room paper, A/69/CRP. 1, UN General Assembly, 23 July 2014
• Lives lost in the Mediterranean Sea: who is responsible?, Council of Europe: Parliamentary Assembly, Doc. 12895, 5 April 2012
• Statement of the Global Migration Group on the Human Rights of Migrants in Irregular Situation, GMG & UNHCR, 30 September 2010
• Irregular Migration and Mixed Flows, IOM, WRM, 2010
• Policy on Migration, IFRC, May 2009
• Irregular Migration and Mixed Flows: IOM'S Approach, IOM, MC/INF/297, 19 October 2009
• Challenges of Irregular Migration: Addressing Mixed Migration Flows, IOM, MC/INF/294, 7 November 2008
• International Migration and Human Rights: Challenges and Opportunities on the Threshold of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, GMG, ISBN: 978-0-89714-900-6, October 2008
• Summary of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development : note - by the President of the General Assembly, UN General Assembly, A/61/515, 13 October 2006