refoulement

American  

[ruh-fool-mahn] / rəˌfulˈmɑn /

noun

1. the act of sending a refugee or asylum-seeker back to a jurisdiction where they are likely to be persecuted.

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Explanation

Refoulement is the act of sending an asylum-seeker back to a home country where they face violence or persecution. International law states that everyone has a right to be protected from refoulement, which forces a refugee back to a place that would be extremely dangerous for them. This danger often involves targeted persecution, but refoulement can also involve sending people home into war zones or places affected by earthquakes or hurricanes. Refoulement comes from the French verb refouler, "to push or force back."

Example Sentences

It said genuine refugees sent there would be at risk of being returned to their home countries, where they could face harm, known in law as "refoulement".

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2023

Former officials say forcible or coerced repatriations would violate the provisions of resettlement deals, which prohibited refoulement, or forcible repatriation to nations where individuals will face persecution.

From Washington Post • Sep. 4, 2021

India also rejects a U.N. position that deporting the Rohingya violates the principle of refoulement – forcible return of refugees to a country where they face danger.

From Reuters • Apr. 8, 2021

Facing accusations of refoulement, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has ignored the most vulnerable cases.

From The Guardian • Aug. 23, 2019

To counter the accusation of refoulement, the Australian government has started using networked communications to interview migrants while they remain in international waters.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2014