A refugee is someone with a well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of his or her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion, who is outside of his or her country of nationality and unable or unwilling to return.

Refugees are forced from their countries by war, civil conflict, political strife or gross human rights abuses.

Foreign Prisoner Support Service believes the right to asylum is a matter of life and death and cannot be compromised. Those seeking protection should not be subjected to further suffering when they reach supposed safety.

Foreign Prisoner Support Service calls on governments to uphold their obligations to protect refugees and to respect their rights - regardless of where they are from or where they seek refuge, in accordance with Article 14 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the right "to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution." This principle recognizes that victims of human rights abuse must be able to leave their country freely and to seek refuge elsewhere.

Foreign Prisoner Support Service hopes that one day our Governments might act with greater compassion, and not look at refugees as a threat or a burden, by refusing to respect this core principle of human rights and refugee protection.