Does the Convention cover internally displaced persons?
Not specifically. Refugees are people who have crossed an international border into a second country seeking sanctuary. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) may have fled for similar reasons, but remain within their own territory and thus are still subject to the laws of that state. In specific crises, UNHCR assists several million, but not all of the estimated 20-25 million IDPs worldwide. There is widespread international debate currently underway on how this group of uprooted people can be better protected and by whom.
