| Title | Key Legal Considerations on access to territory for persons in need of international protection in the context of the COVID-19 response |
| Publisher | UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| Publication Date | 16 March 2020 |
| Topics | Access to procedures | COVID-19 | Entry / Exit | Medical screening | Non-refoulement | Public health | Rejection at border |
| Other Languages / Attachments | Armenian | Russian | Spanish |
| Cite as | UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Key Legal Considerations on access to territory for persons in need of international protection in the context of the COVID-19 response, 16 March 2020, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5e7132834.html [accessed 18 May 2023] |
| Comments | This paper sets out key legal considerations, based on international refugee and human rights law, on access to territory for persons seeking international protection in the context of measures taken by States to restrict the entry of non-nationals for the protection of public health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reconfirms that while States may put in place measures which may include a health screening or testing of persons seeking international protection upon entry and/or putting them in quarantine, such measures may not result in denying them an effective opportunity to seek asylum or result in refoulement. |