Grover discusses how states have treated children living on the streets and facing persecution and whether they have given protections. She looks at how states have implemented policy in regard to refugee and humanitarian law.
The article is qualitative, descriptive and analytical looking at court cases in the United States and Canada. Grover references international law including the Convention on the Status of Refugees and human rights law to define qualifications for refugee status.
The majority of states do not give children the means to trial and independent counsel in trial. Of those that do, many do not receive asylum. In Canada, 16% of denied asylum applications actually made it to the Federal Court of Appeals (119). The court overrules previous asylum denials only if they find grounds “unreasonable” (119).
Many courts do not see refugees as social group,
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It is interesting to see that refugee law can expand to street children. However, like Grover explains, states evade applying human rights law and giving protection to street children (128). Grover proposes states recognize street children as a social group of people who are experience persecution and are essentially refugees (127). Grover contends that states need to focus on human rights and not allow state interests and politics get primacy when granting refugee status (119). Courts need to focus on judicial review and substantive justice in ensuring the right decision to asylum applications was given, based on the Refugee Act, rather than focusing on procedures (129). Also, courts need to prosecute offenders who violated human rights in these cases (129). Lastly, Grover argues for consistency in state and international law, with real application of human rights law at all courts, regardless of whether it is a part of domestic law
(1) Billy cannot file a petition for asylum on behalf of relative minor child Jane because Billy is neither Jane’s parent nor a court ordered guardian. (2) Jane, on the other hand, has within one year of entering the United States in which to seek a claim for asylum, regardless of her age. (3) Jane’s refusal to return to her country of origin is under the pretense she is subject to physical abuse by her father and she fears persecution, or has a well-founded fear of persecution, due to her race, religion,
Throughout the years, there have been articles about asylum seekers resorting to violence due to discontentment with the Australian government regarding the assessment of their refugee status. These are evident cries for help which sparks off debates on the government’s abilities to find a successful solution to the asylum issues. Australia has been criticized due to the requirements of compulsory immigration detention for ‘all unlawful non-citizens, (including asylum seekers)’ (Phillips & Spinks 2013, p.1). The other controversial issue of Australia regarding the asylum seekers is also the claims that it has been avoiding it’s responsibilities under the United Nations refugee conventions by making it hard for asylum seekers to claim
(2014). Our Refugee Crisis, Nation, pp. 4-6. The authors purpose. Was to bring the readers up to speed on the problem of unaccompanied immigrant children coming across the border seeking asylum and how complex the issue is.
Australia, among many places, has legal restrictions and conventions in reference to the captivity and treatment of asylum seekers. These are seen through the ‘1951 Refugee Convention’ and it’s 1967 protocol. Legal guidelines are also seen in significant human rights treaties.
the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty guidelines issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, including the Revised Guidelines on Applicable Criteria and Standards Relating to the Detention of Asylum
Unlike in other domestic court proceedings, the US government does not appoint a legal advisor to unaccompanied children seeking asylum; hence, they do not have anyone that advocates for their interest and welfare. Without English skills or a legal advisor, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and
Another important stakeholder in this issue is the children themselves. Almost all of the children present in detention centres are asylum seekers whom arrived in Australia by boat, and are classified as ‘unauthorised maritime arrivals’ (Humanrights.gov.au, 2015). These asylum seeker children all held the same responses to some degree. Their responses were all surrounded by the main aspect of ‘Wanting to be free and safe’.
The article begins with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, head of the Global Citizenship Commission, proposing to the UN that a court should be set up to assess crimes that have been committed against children. The current refugee crisis has created a dire need for a court to investigate child labor, slavery, and marriage. The court would be able to take charge of cases petitioned by children and issue irrevocable rulings. Since so many children’s rights have been violated, someone needs to speak up on their behalf. The U.N. Children’s Fund has recently addressed the issue of the lack of protection in Europe from human traffickers. The Global Citizenship Commission includes very qualified individuals that have not only suggested for a children’s court, but they also have advocated for reform in U.N. refugee aid and veto processes.
The 1951 convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (The Refugees Convention) was designed for the protection of asylum seekers. It identifies their rights to seek asylum whether it be from persecution in regards to race, religion, nationality, or political opinion outside of their
The refugee crisis has been a contentious issue for the past decade as the amount of people seeking refuge in foreign countries is rising exponentially, with many countries turning to off shore detention as a way to deal with this issue (Coffey, Kaplan, Sampson & Tucci, 2010; Crock, Saul & Dastyari; Ljungholm, 2014). As a result of this influx the demand for human rights lawyers has increased, because the indefinite nature of the detention it is seen to be a breach of human rights (Saul, 2012; Evenhuis, 2013; Ljungholm, 2014). It is evident from the literature that long term indefinite detention of children and young adults has a significant adverse effect on their mental health, both long and short term. The two major themes that this literature
It is fair to say that my rationale for selecting this area of research was of course my own interest and learning but in addition, that this may help to add greater depth of understanding, tolerance in an area that is often used to discredit and negatively label asylum seekers and refugees. It also appears from my preliminary searches that there is dearth of information on this subject.
Today, it is nearly impossible for URMs to receive any government papers from EU states and they are often forgotten and left in detention centers for weeks or even months. In addition to prolonged periods of detention, Human Rights Watch reported that in detention centers “children face unsanitary and degrading conditions and abusive treatment, including detention with adults and ill-treatment by police. Under European and international standards, in the exceptional cases that an unaccompanied child is detained for his or her protection, conditions should be governed by the best interest of the child” (HRW, “Why Are You”). These conditions, however, are far from being in “the best interest of the child.” In fact, detention and refugee centers are extremely ineffective in protecting vulnerable children. These children are blatantly disregarded and left defenseless against abuse and sex-trafficking. This completely violates EU laws since children are supposed to be under the State’s protection. EU members can start alleviating the burden URMs by cutting down holding periods and by following the guidelines of international human rights instruments as well as domestic laws. Otherwise, if minors are left in the same inhospitable conditions and circumstances in Europe, are their human rights any more realized than under the oppressive regimes they left
Asylum is a haven granted by one country to an individual seeking protection from another country. The right to asylum is established in the international law by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in article 14. Two types of asylum exists, of which political asylum is the one which is widely recognized and put to practice where an individual flees its country of origin to take refuge in a foreign country. Its disputed counterpart, diplomatic asylum, is applicable where the person seeking asylum is outside the territory of the country granting it, mainly within its diplomatic territory. Diplomatic asylum is applicable only when the individual is wanted for political crimes. From outset it lead to political friction due to its infringement on the receiving country’s sovereignty. In practice it comes down to a balancing act between the receiving country’s sovereignty and the granting state’s diplomatic sanctity. Historically diplomatic asylum developed into two opposing practises on the international platform, which will be discussed in this section.
In order for International refugee law to function and satisfactorily benefit the people it has challenged state sovereignty in some aspects. Regardless of the enforcement laws signatory states have been able to keep authority over the flow of refugees individually keeping their territorial supremacy. In my opinion refugee law has not challenged the principle of state sovereignty enough as some people still seem to fall within the cracks and are not afforded protection. States are still refusing to to give a little of their power away in order to protect human rights. This essay is going to be discussing the 1951 convention, internally displaced persons and the concept of non-refoulement in relation to the protection for forced migrants.
Hundreds of thousands of people every year are forced to leave their homes. Refugees are defined as people who have to leave their homes in order to survive and be safe. Natural disasters and the folly of man cause masses of people to flee their native countries into neighboring territories to wait until it is safe to go back home or to relocate for good. A refugee refers to a person or people who, outside their country of origin, are unable to save themselves from their country or are unable to return there for fear of persecution (Jastram, 2001). What makes a refugee a refugee? Who deserves refugee status?