India, Sept. 16 -- The 1951 Refugee Convention recently marked its 75th anniversary, inspiring a string of commentary. One piece published in this newspaper urges India to do more and commit more, based on a treaty it has not signed. Such exhortation doesn't recognise India's actions and policies on refugee protection so far and the realities it is faced with. Since we are discussing international law, let us begin with what the Convention actually says.

The principle of non-refoulement (i.e. the obligation not to return refugees to territories where their lives or freedom are threatened) is popularly considered a universally binding norm of international law, applicable to all States regardless of whether they have signed the Convention...