Asylum is an ancient judicial concept whereby a person who is persecuted for his political opinions or religious beliefs in his country, which may be protected by another sovereign authority or a foreign country, is given the opportunity to express his views.[1][2][3]
The Egyptians, the Greeks and the Hebrews recognized the right to asylum, or what was known as the protection of the persecuted from legal proceedings. This principle was later adopted by the founding of the Christian Church, which laid down detailed rules for how to obtain protection or asylum.[4] In 511 the Council of Orleans, in the presence of Clovis I, decided that asylum could be granted to anyone who had sought refuge in the event of a direct threat of death - such as theft and infidelity - or without cause. In general, everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum in other countries, and this was confirmed by the United Nations in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, then the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees in 1951, as well as the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees in 1967. [5] Under these agreements, a refugee is a person who lives outside his country because of fear of persecution for a variety of reasons, including ethnic reasons; sectarian; nationality; Politically religious or because of his participation in certain social activities. It is worth noting here that political asylum should not be confused with the modern refugee law, which deals with the massive influx of people into other countries. Asylum is a right that is specific to the interests of individuals and is provided in each case.
Jaafar Abdul Karim Al-Khabouri
