What is the Right of Asylum?

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The Right of Asylum is the right of any person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it. Persecution for reasons of gender, including that motivated by an individual´s sexual preference or gender identity, are also considered to be a violation of human rights recognised by this Right.

The Right of Asylum is a fundamental human right which is recognised in article 14 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and developed in the Geneva Convention of 1951 and the New York Protocol in 1967.