Asylum and Human Rights

Asylum protection, given under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, is when an individual has left their country and is unable to go back because they have a well-founded fear of persecution. The UK adheres to the European Convention on Human Rights, therefore preventing authorities from sending someone back to their country where there is a real risk that they will be exposed to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.