The Global Compact on Refugees: Indian perspectives and experiences

On 17 December 2018, the Global Compact on Refugees was officially affirmed by the United Nations General Assembly. India took an active role in contributing to the development of the Compact and affirmed it, along with the majority of Member States. The Compact, a non-binding instrument, sets out to provide a basis for predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing among all United Nations Member States. It also emphasises the need for stakeholders to enhance refugee self-reliance in host states. While India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and does not have a national framework for refugee protection, it grants asylum to a number of refugees from neighbouring states and has a rich and well-documented history of hosting refugees. Lately, however, concerns about national security and shifts in political discourse have had an adversely restrictive impact on the asylum space in the country. In such an environment, the absence of a uniform legal and administrative framework for refugees presents serious protection challenges. Yet, India’s recent commitment to the Compact raises hopes about what might still be achieved. The contributors to this edited collection—who include legal experts, researchers, academics and distinguished figures from across India and beyond— explore the importance and relevance (or irrelevance) of the Global Compact on Refugees for present-day India.