

See also international protection, migrant, refugee (mandate), refugee (1951 Convention) Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Master Glossary of Terms (2006). Not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognized as a refugee, but every recognized refugee is initially an asylum seeker. In countries with individualized procedures, an asylum seeker is someone whose claim has not yet been finally decided on by the country in which he or she has submitted it. Asylum seeker – An individual who is seeking international protection.See also country of origin, reintegration
#Principle synonym free#
In some cases, an assessment may be needed by qualified professionals to determine the extent to which a person is capable to take such a free and informed decision, and who, should the person lack such a capacity, could legally take the decision on his or her behalf.Īssisted voluntary return programmes may provide different levels of assistance to reintegration and, in some cases, they don’t provide any assistance to this effect. Note: In the context of assisted voluntary return and reintegration, voluntariness is assumed to exist if two conditions apply: (a) freedom of choice, which is defined by the absence of physical or psychological pressure to enrol in an assisted voluntary return and reintegration programme and (b) an informed decision which requires the availability of timely, unbiased and reliable information upon which to base the decision.

Note: International human rights law provides that detention, including in the migration context, must only be used as a last resort, that is when alternatives cannot be applied. Source: Adapted from International Detention Coalition, There Are Alternatives: A Handbook for Preventing Unnecessary Immigration Detention (revised edition, 2015) p. Alternatives to detention – Any legislation, policy or practice, formal or informal, aimed at preventing the unnecessary detention of persons for reasons relating to their migration status.
