UN Convention on the Status of Refugees

The UN Convention on the Status of Refugees defines the term “refugee”, as well as the rights of a refugee, and the legal obligations of states. A refugee is defined as “a 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 (…)”. Canada signs the convention in 1969.