---
title: "Non-Refoulement in the Context of Internal Displacement"
description: "The Case of IDPs in South Sudan’s Protection of Civilians Sites"
url: "https://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/non-refoulement-in-the-context-of-internal-displacement"
language: "en"
published: "2017-09-05T14:52:00Z"
modified: "2017-09-05T15:01:11Z"
---

Report

# Non-Refoulement in the Context of Internal Displacement

Published 05. Sep 2017

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[South Sudan](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=103) [Humanitarian principles](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=155) [Internal displacement](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=156) [Law and policy](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=303)

The Case of IDPs in South Sudan’s Protection of Civilians Sites

The principle of non-refoulement is often regarded as being exclusively applicable in contexts of international cross-border displacement. But while the term refoulement did indeed gain recognition through its inclusion in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, similar concepts can be found in a far more diverse set of legal frameworks whose protection extends well beyond the refugee sphere.

This paper explores the principle of non-refoulement in the context of internal displacement, and draws on aspects of international and regional law that address the principle of “no-return.” It examines the territorial dimensions associated with non-refoulement under the relevant bodies of law, and uses the experience of South Sudan (where over 200,000 internally displaced persons are currently seeking protection in UN peacekeeping bases) as a case study.

[Non-Refoulement in the Context of Internal Displacement.pdf 540.4 KB](https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/reports/non-refoulement-in-the-context-of-internal-displacement/nrc-non-refoulement_idps-screen.pdf)