Press Release – For Immediate Release 
20 June 2024 
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
+49 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

On World Refugee Day 2024, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) draws attention to the plight of Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers around the world. The WUC is particularly concerned about the case of at least 43 Uyghur refugees held at the IDC Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand since 2014, and the case of Idris Hasan, who has been detained in Morocco since 2021 and is at high risk of extradition to China.

“Uyghurs fleeing persecution and genocide face numerous stresses and vulnerabilities,” says WUC President Dolkun Isa. “They should be protected by the international community and not subjected to further harm. It is crucial that host countries uphold their obligations under international law and safeguard Uyghur refugees from being returned to a regime that seeks to eradicate their identity. It is also the responsibility of the UNHCR to better protect and respond meaningfully to urgent cases.’’

The Chinese government relentlessly pursues Uyghur refugees and uses its power and influence to pressure host countries into returning them. Once returned, they are subjected to enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, and other serious human rights violations. Even those who have settled in host countries cannot fully escape Chinese government control, as they are regularly contacted, monitored, threatened, and intimidated. They are often coerced into spying on other Uyghurs or remaining silent about the genocide in East Turkistan, refraining from any activism. Additionally, the Chinese government refuses to renew the passports of Uyghur refugees, effectively rendering them stateless and placing them in a precarious position. This complicates their ability to obtain refugee status or claim asylum, find employment, access government services, and establish a stable life in their host country.

On World Refugee Day, the World Uyghur Congress strongly urges the international community to abide by their obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the principle of non-refoulement by immediately ceasing any extradition of Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers to China. The World Uyghur Congress also calls on the international community to strongly condemn China’s harassment of the Uyghur diaspora community and calls for the protection of Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers, urging the UNHCR to take meaningful action. Uyghurs deserve the right to safety.