---
title: "Is seeking asylum a human right?"
id: "518"
type: "post"
slug: "is-seeking-asylum-a-human-right"
published_at: "2026-11-10T00:48:40+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-11-10T00:48:47+00:00"
url: "https://asylumsafehouse.com/learn/is-seeking-asylum-a-human-right/"
markdown_url: "https://asylumsafehouse.com/learn/is-seeking-asylum-a-human-right.md"
excerpt: "Yes. But the right is to ask for safety and have your claim heard fairly, not a guarantee of being accepted. Here is what that means, in law and in New Zealand. ... Read More"
taxonomy_category:
  - "learn"
---

## A right to ask

You have probably heard that everyone has the right to live in safety. But what happens when your own country is no longer safe? Is it a right to leave and ask someone else for protection?

Yes. Every human being has the right to live with dignity, with food, clothing and shelter. We often say “live and let live”. For people fleeing war and persecution, the request is even simpler: ***Let us live***

Article 14 of the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights](https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights)
 says everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution in other countries. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol turn that principle into binding law for the countries that have signed them. New Zealand joined the Convention in 1960.

**What the right protects**  
Anyone fleeing danger can ask another country for protection, and that country must consider the claim fairly. Under the Convention, it also cannot send a person back to a place where their life or freedom is under threat.

**What it does not guarantee**  
The right is to seek asylum. Each government decides whether a claim meets the legal definition of a refugee. This is why asylum seekers often wait for months or years, and why a safe place to live during that wait matters so much. If you want to know how a claim works here, read our guide to [the six-step process for claiming refugee status in New Zealand](https://asylumsafehouse.com/learn/how-to-claim-refugee-status-in-new-zealand-the-six-step-process/)
.

**Why people have to leave**  
When home becomes a place of war, severe discrimination or violence, staying can mean risking your life. Crossing a border is often the only way to keep a family safe and begin again.

**Why dignity matters**  
Treating people who are seeking safety with fairness is not charity. It is basic humanity, and it protects everyone’s rights because no one knows when they might need the same protection.

Want to help? See how you can [get involved](https://asylumsafehouse.com/get-involved/)
.