Unprotected at the Borders: Analyzing Refugee Status in Indonesia and the Non-Refoulement Principle
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29303/ulrev.v9i2.436Keywords:
Refugees, Indonesia, Asylum Seekers.Abstract
Indonesia, a key player in global migration flows, has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol, creating uncertainty regarding the legal status and protection of refugees. This article examines how Indonesia, as a non-signatory, upholds the principle of non-refoulement, a core element of customary international law. Using a normative legal approach, including doctrinal analysis and policy evaluation, the study explores Indonesia’s national regulations, particularly Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 on refugee handling, and its cooperation with UNHCR in Refugee Status Determination. Findings indicate that while Indonesia is not legally bound by the Refugee Convention, it adheres to fundamental humanitarian principles, including the prohibition of forced return. However, the lack of a national asylum system limits refugees’ access to legal protection, basic rights, and long-term security. This article highlights the importance of strengthening Indonesia’s domestic legal framework to ensure alignment with international protection standards, offering a contribution to the literature by emphasizing the necessity of a robust asylum system in a non-signatory state.
References
Bibliography
Adhaniah, Nurul, Dudy Heryadi, and Deasy Sylvia Sari. “The Cooperation of UNHCR and Indonesia on Afghan Refugee Handling in Indonesia.” Andalas Journal of International Studies X, no. 1 (2021): 51–65. https://doi.org/DOI: https://doi.org/10.25077/ajis.10.1.51-65.2021.
Adwani, Adwani, Rosmawati Rosmawati, and M. Ya’kub Aiyub Kadir. “The Responsibility in Protecting the Rohingya Refugees in Aceh Province, Indonesia: An International Refugees Law Perspective.” IIUM Law Journal 29, no. (S2) (2021): 1–21. https://doi.org/10.31436/iiumlj.v29i(s2).677.
Anker, Deborah E. “Refugee Law, Gender, and the Human Rights Paradigm.” International Refugee Law 25 (2017): 237–58. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315092478-11.
Asmara, Melina Tri, and Alvi Syahrin. “Aktualisasi Kebijakan Imigrasi Indonesia Terkait Hak Asasi Manusia Bagi Pengungsi Rohingya Di Indonesia.” Journal of Law and Border Protection 1, no. 2 (2021): 73–84.
Baban, Feyzi, Suzan Ilcan, and Kim Rygiel. “Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Pathways to Precarity, Differential Inclusion, and Negotiated Citizenship Rights.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 43, no. 1 (2017): 41–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2016.1192996.
Bruin, Rene, Kees Wouters. “Terrorism and the Non‐derogability of Non‐refoulement.” International Journal of Refugee Law 15, no. 1 (2003): 5–29. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/ijrl/15.1.5.
Coleman, Nils. “Non-Refoulement Revised Renewed Review of the Status of the Principle of Non-Refoulement as Customary International Law.” European Journal of Migration and Law 5 (2003): 23–68. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/157181603100405657.
D’Angelo, Ellen F. “Non-Refoulement : The Search for a Consistent Interpretation of Article 33.” Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 42, no. 1 (2009): 279–316. https://doi.org/https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/vantl42&div=9&id=&page=.
Ernawati, Ninin. “The Legal Consequences of the Application of Two Australian Policies as Members of the 1951 Refugee Convention Reviewed from the VCLT 1969.” Jurnal IUS 7, no. 1 (2019).
Harrell-Bond, Barbara. “Can Humanitarian Work with Refugees Be Humane?” Human Rights Quarterly 24, no. 1 (2002): 51–85. https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2002.0011.
Havez, M., Ernawati, N., Pitaloka, D., Rosidi, A., & Jumadi, J. “Balancing Local Community Interest and International Responsibilities in the Context of the Expulsion of Rohingya Refugees in Aceh.” Indonesian Journal of International Law 21, no. 4 (2024): 6. https://doi.org/10.17304/ijil.vol21.4.1823.
Janmyr, Maja. “The 1951 Refugee Convention and Non-Signatory States : Charting a Research Agenda” 33, no. 2 (2021): 188–213.
Kim, Seunghwan. “Non-Refoulement and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction: State Sovereignty and Migration Controls at Sea in the European Context.” Leiden Journal of International Law 30, no. 1 (2017): 49–70. https://doi.org/doi:10.1017/S0922156516000625.
Liliansa, Dita, Dita Liliansa, and Anbar Jayadi. “Should Indonesia Accede To The 1951 Refugee Convention And Its 1967 Protocol ?” 5, no. 3 (2015). https://doi.org/10.15742/ilrev.v5n3.161.
McMillan, K., & Petcharamesree, S. “Towards an Asean Model of ‘Responsibility-Sharing’for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers.” Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law 22, no. 1 (2021): 49–68. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/15718158-22010005.
Sadjad, Mahardhika Sjamsoe oed. “What Are Refugees Represented to Be? A Frame Analysis of the Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 Concerning the Treatment of Refugees ‘from Abroad.’” Asian Journal of Law and Society 8, no. 3 (2021): 451–66. https://doi.org/10.1017/als.2021.3.
Soeryabrata, Titi Herwati. “Juridical Review of the Refugees in Indonesia from the Human Rights Side and the Private Protection” 140, no. Icleh (2020): 271–76. https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.200513.055.
Syahrin, M. A. “The Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Legal Protection on International Law and Islamic Law.” In 1st International Conference on Indonesian Legal Studies (ICILS 2018), . 94-99, 2018. https://doi.org/10.2991/icils-18.2018.18.
Syahrin, M. Alvi. “The Implementation of Non-Refoulement Principle to the Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Indonesia.” Sriwijaya Law Review 1, no. 2 (2017): 168–78.
Villalpando, Santiago. “The Legal Dimension of the International Community : How Community Interests Are Protected in International.” European Journal of International Law 21, no. 2 (2010): 387–419. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chq038.
Adhaniah, Nurul, Dudy Heryadi, and Deasy Sylvia Sari. “The Cooperation of UNHCR and Indonesia on Afghan Refugee Handling in Indonesia.” Andalas Journal of International Studies X, no. 1 (2021): 51–65. https://doi.org/DOI: https://doi.org/10.25077/ajis.10.1.51-65.2021.
Adwani, Adwani, Rosmawati Rosmawati, and M. Ya’kub Aiyub Kadir. “The Responsibility in Protecting the Rohingya Refugees in Aceh Province, Indonesia: An International Refugees Law Perspective.” IIUM Law Journal 29, no. (S2) (2021): 1–21. https://doi.org/10.31436/iiumlj.v29i(s2).677.
Anker, Deborah E. “Refugee Law, Gender, and the Human Rights Paradigm.” International Refugee Law 25 (2017): 237–58. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315092478-11.
Asmara, Melina Tri, and Alvi Syahrin. “Aktualisasi Kebijakan Imigrasi Indonesia Terkait Hak Asasi Manusia Bagi Pengungsi Rohingya Di Indonesia.” Journal of Law and Border Protection 1, no. 2 (2021): 73–84.
Baban, Feyzi, Suzan Ilcan, and Kim Rygiel. “Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Pathways to Precarity, Differential Inclusion, and Negotiated Citizenship Rights.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 43, no. 1 (2017): 41–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2016.1192996.
Bruin, Rene, Kees Wouters. “Terrorism and the Non‐derogability of Non‐refoulement.” International Journal of Refugee Law 15, no. 1 (2003): 5–29. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/ijrl/15.1.5.
Coleman, Nils. “Non-Refoulement Revised Renewed Review of the Status of the Principle of Non-Refoulement as Customary International Law.” European Journal of Migration and Law 5 (2003): 23–68. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/157181603100405657.
D’Angelo, Ellen F. “Non-Refoulement : The Search for a Consistent Interpretation of Article 33.” Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 42, no. 1 (2009): 279–316. https://doi.org/https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/vantl42&div=9&id=&page=.
Ernawati, Ninin. “The Legal Consequences of the Application of Two Australian Policies as Members of the 1951 Refugee Convention Reviewed from the VCLT 1969.” Jurnal IUS 7, no. 1 (2019).
Harrell-Bond, Barbara. “Can Humanitarian Work with Refugees Be Humane?” Human Rights Quarterly 24, no. 1 (2002): 51–85. https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2002.0011.
Havez, M., Ernawati, N., Pitaloka, D., Rosidi, A., & Jumadi, J. “Balancing Local Community Interest and International Responsibilities in the Context of the Expulsion of Rohingya Refugees in Aceh.” Indonesian Journal of International Law 21, no. 4 (2024): 6. https://doi.org/10.17304/ijil.vol21.4.1823.
Janmyr, Maja. “The 1951 Refugee Convention and Non-Signatory States : Charting a Research Agenda” 33, no. 2 (2021): 188–213.
Kim, Seunghwan. “Non-Refoulement and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction: State Sovereignty and Migration Controls at Sea in the European Context.” Leiden Journal of International Law 30, no. 1 (2017): 49–70. https://doi.org/doi:10.1017/S0922156516000625.
Liliansa, Dita, Dita Liliansa, and Anbar Jayadi. “Should Indonesia Accede To The 1951 Refugee Convention And Its 1967 Protocol ?” 5, no. 3 (2015). https://doi.org/10.15742/ilrev.v5n3.161.
McMillan, K., & Petcharamesree, S. “Towards an Asean Model of ‘Responsibility-Sharing’for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers.” Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law 22, no. 1 (2021): 49–68. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/15718158-22010005.
Sadjad, Mahardhika Sjamsoe oed. “What Are Refugees Represented to Be? A Frame Analysis of the Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 Concerning the Treatment of Refugees ‘from Abroad.’” Asian Journal of Law and Society 8, no. 3 (2021): 451–66. https://doi.org/10.1017/als.2021.3.
Soeryabrata, Titi Herwati. “Juridical Review of the Refugees in Indonesia from the Human Rights Side and the Private Protection” 140, no. Icleh (2020): 271–76. https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.200513.055.
Syahrin, M. A. “The Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Legal Protection on International Law and Islamic Law.” In 1st International Conference on Indonesian Legal Studies (ICILS 2018), . 94-99, 2018. https://doi.org/10.2991/icils-18.2018.18.
Syahrin, M. Alvi. “The Implementation of Non-Refoulement Principle to the Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Indonesia.” Sriwijaya Law Review 1, no. 2 (2017): 168–78.
Villalpando, Santiago. “The Legal Dimension of the International Community : How Community Interests Are Protected in International.” European Journal of International Law 21, no. 2 (2010): 387–419. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chq038.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Beni Prawira Candra Jaya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright holder by Author
