The principle of non-refoulement in cases involving refugees and asylum seekers

On 21 May 2026, the Odesa Regional Branch of the National School of Judges, in collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency and with the support of the non-governmental organisation ‘10 April’, held a workshop for judges on the specific aspects of hearing cases involving refugees and asylum seekers, taking into account international standards, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and national experience.

Supreme Court Judge Andrii Zhuk, UNHCR Legal Adviser Oksana Babych, and Yevhen Kozelkov, Project Manager for ‘Protection and Solutions for Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Stateless Persons, Persons at Risk of Statelessness and Persons of Undetermined Nationality in Ukraine’ Yevhen Kozelkov, and lawyers from the NGO ‘10 April’ Vladyslav Kaznevskyi, Dmytro Sokolov and Dmytro Kostyrko.

Participants at the event discussed the application of the principle of non-refoulement, risk assessment in cases relating to expulsion, the use of information on the country of origin as evidence within the international protection system, as well as current case law of the European Court of Human Rights and national courts regarding the forced return and expulsion of foreign nationals and stateless persons.

The programme of the event combined theoretical sessions, discussions on international standards and practical mock trials. Particular attention was paid to striking a balance between public interests and the protection of human rights in cases involving asylum seekers and refugees.

The training served as a platform for the professional exchange of experience and for strengthening judges’ capacity in the application of international human rights standards.

At the conclusion of the event, the participating judges expressed their gratitude for the organisation of the in-person event, the accessible presentation of the material, the practical focus, the professionalism of the lecturers, the engaging discussions and the relevance of the topic.