| Who are refugees? |
| FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) | |||
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Australia is one of 141 countries that is a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. According to the Convetion, the definition of a refugee is "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 and is outside of his country of his nationality and is unable or unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country, or he not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it." Refugees are ordinary people who, because of events in their own country, decide (or are forced) to flee their country and seek asylum elsewhere. CARAD has helped people from many ethnic groups and minority backgrounds over the years, including Afghanistan, Burma, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Ethiopia, as well as other countries. ASYLUM SEEKER TO REFUGEE A person who is escaping persecution is entitled under Australian and international law to make an application for asylum. It is not illegal to ask for asylum.
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