The Need for Refugee Law in India and the Way Forward

India is one of the largest and most powerful countries in a region characterised by rapidly evolving geopolitical interests. In the past and present, India continues to be a place of regular refugee arrivals but lacks the legal and administrative framework and tools to effectively protect and guarantee their rights and liberties. India is not a party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 protocol nor does it have a national law on refugee protection. India’s response to refugee crises have been guided by ideological and national interests of the government in power rather than the need to meet international obligations. This leads to immensely different approaches to different refugee crises, suiting the needs of the government rather than those of refugees themselves, who are left in dire circumstances. This paper looks into the present methods employed at attending to refugees’ needs, areas of importance and stakeholders that must be considered in the formation of a national framework for refugee protection.