India was the venue for the single largest influx of refugees since the Second World War, when an estimated 10 million people crossed over from East Pakistan to India in 1971. The majority of refugees were in West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam. The majority of the refugees were repatriated after the war, with the UNHCR Dhaka office's support. UNHCR has been allowed to operate in India since 1981, even though India has not signed the 1951 Refugee Status Convention or the 1967 Refugee Status Protocol.
Work
UNHCR India works in close cooperation with the Government of India, NGOs and civil society to support refugees and asylum-seekers. Its urban operation is primarily based in New Delhi with a smaller presence in Chennai to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees. UNHCR registered refugees in other locations are supported through partner NGOs. UNHCR works with several NGOs including Bosco, the Socio Legal Information Centre, the Gandhi National Memorial Society, the Confederation of Voluntary Agencies and Development And Justice Initiative, Fair Trade Forum -India and Save the Children, India to support refugees and asylum seekers. Most of the Sri Lankan and Tibetan refugees are directly assisted by the Indian Government. UNHCR strives to improve the lives of refugees under its mandate, the majority of whom are refugees from Myanmar and Afghanistan. UNHCR in India conducts Refugee Status Determination procedures, which starts with registration of individual asylum-seekers. Following registration, UNHCR conducts interviews with each individual asylum-seeker to assess his/her claim to international protection as a refugee. UNHCR offers its technical expertise to several legal, academic and research institutions. It conducts the Post Graduate Diploma course in Refugee law in collaboration with the Indian Society of International Law in New Delhi The 'Ilham' project, a catering service run by Afghan refugee women with the help of UNHCR India and its partner ACCESS Development Services, has been receiving rave reviews. The project has given a new ray of hope for the women, who have found a reliable means of supporting their families, besides coping with the physical and psychological problems of refugee life.
Funding
UNHCR India had a budget of $15.1 million for 2016, of which only $608,500 has been met as of October 2016. UNIQLO has been the only major donor for the funding round.
Refugee numbers in India
The World Refugee Survey by US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants estimate the number of refugees in India at 456,000. The number of refugees who have registered with UNHCR are however around 200,000.
