UNHCR (2011)
This text underscores the vulnerability of ethnic, religious, or linguistic minorities, indigenous peoples, and caste-based groups seeking international protection. It highlights their susceptibility to severe human rights violations, violence, persecution, and discrimination. The definition of minorities encompasses groups with a common identity, often non-dominant economically and politically, maintaining distinctive characteristics. Indigenous peoples, linked historically to pre-invasion societies, enjoy specific rights related to customary law, traditional knowledge, and cultural heritage. Caste-based discrimination, prevalent in South Asia, is also addressed. The guidance acknowledges the potential minority-like situation for refugees from the majority arriving in locations with discriminatory practices against similar communities. Refugees from minorities, indigenous peoples, and other discriminated groups may face prolonged effects, with diverse impacts on women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, and LGBTI individuals, emphasising the need for an Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) approach in UNHCR’s protection activities.