Introduction
The formation of a nation-state has created binary categories of those who belong (citizens) and those who do not belong (‘aliens’) to the state. Complex socio-economic and geopolitical boundaries including territorial boundaries divide the citizens from ‘aliens’, and the state exercises sovereign power to protect the privileges of the former (Hayter, 2004). On the other hand, forced displacement is counterproductive to the notion of the state as a selective ‘container’ (Koser, 2003). For various reasons, states, policymakers, international bodies, institutions and local governors put displaced people into categories such as refugees, economic migrants, returnees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and others (Reed, 2012).
…show more content…
In doing so, the essay synthesises a range of migration and international relations literature.
Evolution of the international refugee protection regime
In the aftermath of the WWII and the beginning of the Cold War tensions, the UNHCR began its mandate of addressing the issues of refugees as defined by the 1951 Geneva Convention with thirty-three staff and a $30,000 budget (Feller, 2001:131). Reflecting post-colonial European hegemonic structure and ignoring the upheavals of decolonisation in the ‘Third World,’ geographic and temporal limitations were embedded within the definition of a refugee. The convention recognises persons displaced before the first of January 1951 within the European geographical region (Nygh, 2000 and Loescher et al., 2008). Thus, the mandate of the UNHCR was apparently limited to the protection of refugees displaced before the drafting of the 1951 Geneva Convention and only within Europe. At this time, because of the strategic aims of the Cold War period and demand for labour, “refugees were welcomed noncitizens in many [European] countries” (Feller, 2001:129). In other words, the refugee regime was designed to provide geopolitical and economic responses to mass displacement due to Nazism and communism. After more than a decade and a half of this Eurocentric approach, the geographic and temporal limitations of the 1951 Geneva Convention were lifted by the 1967 protocol (Betts, 2010). By removing the
The article, “Refugees: Who, Where, and Why” by Catherine Gevert is about different refugees in the world, where they are from and why they became refugees in the first place. The first concept the author talked about was, around the world, many refugees have had to flee, to escape to safety after being mistreated in their own country. Refugees are protected by law and given basic civil rights when going to different countries. Another key point she talks about is where these people are and in the article shows us that refugee camps are located throughout the world, but are not the best living conditions. Many refugees go here for asylum. Furthermore, some reasons people can become refugees are because of, war and “ethnic cleansing”, also known
Has United States or Canada been more effective with implementing and abiding by refugee rules and laws? Before discussing and comparing which of these countries had been more successful, the historical context of refugees needs to be explored. Although refugees have existed throughout the course of history, the definitions of what a refuge is had shifted and evolved over time. The League of Nations in the 1920s defined refugees “by categories, specifically in relation to their country of origin.” Up until 1950s, the League of Nations, which later became the United Nations, “established and dismantled several international institutions devoted to refugees in Europe.” After World War II, creating and facilitating solutions for refugees were of high importance internationally. This is evident in the first session of United Nations General Assembly in 1946 when it adopted the principle that no refugee who had “expressed valid objections to returning to their countries [sic] of origin ... shall be compelled to return.”
To some of us, the very prospect of having our identity stripped, our status voided, our existence undermined, can be alarming and threatening to our mental security. However, why is it that when members of a third world country are plunged into the condition of statelessness, we do not share the same sentiment? Venerable members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, I am here today to rekindle you with what I have been impassioned with. To me, what the word “citizenship” manifests is the right to conform to society. On the other hand, statelessness signifies a disoriented puzzle piece that has lost its way from the jigsaw puzzle; the lone wolf from the pack. Today’s issue that must be brought to light is the plight of thousands of Haitians
One of the major crisis in the world is the conflict occurring in Syria, which has resulted in the displacement of millions of refugees throughout Europe. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an agency that “ensures refugees have access to both protection and durable solutions” is encouraging, persuading, and “helping host countries to meet their international obligations. Although states across Europe like Germany, Netherlands, and France have responded to this crisis in various of ways, this paper will solely focus on Canada and its response to this issue. This essay will argue that Canada has had an affirmative humanitarian response, which is shaped by Canada’s identify. Canada is identified throughout the world as
They defined a refugee as someone who ‘As a result of events occurring before 1 January 1951 and owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.’ ( Refugee Convention 1951 (Geneva) a 1). This definition excludes those who have left their country because of famine, environmental issues and the opportunity to have a better standard of living in another country. (Asylum seekers
To what extent does human nature help us to explain the relationship between nation states?
Basically, this says that no refugee may be forced to return to a country of persecution; however, no United Nations regulation specifies that another country must take the refugee in. This leaves the poor, equally unstable bordering countries to host millions of refugees. Over 80% of the world's 15 million refugees are living in the less developed countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. (Singer 249)
The first organization which worked with refugees was United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administrative (UNRRA) from 1943 to 1947 and this organization was replaced by the International Refugee Organization (IRO) which worked actually from 1947 to 19491.This organization was not enough to tackle the growing refugee crisis soon after the second World War in the European continent. In this case, after a long discussion in General Assembly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was founded as a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly by Resolution 319(4) of the United Nations General Assembly in 1949.It was given three year mandate to complete its work from January 1950 to 1953.By various conference the mandate system had been broadened2.According to UNHCR, its mandate is to provide, on a non-political and humanitarian basis, international protection to refugees and to seek permanent solutions for them.
Imagine that you are in your home, and you hear a bomb go off. You then hear countless horrific sounds of guns going off and explosives detonating. You look outside and you see your home, your country, ruined. Then you realise that you can;t stay in your country much longer or else you and your family will get killed. You know that you are about to become a refugee. Believe it or not, this is not uncommon. According to Al Jazeera, over 5,000 men, women and children have died on their search of protection and a better life in 2015. This is a shocking and horrible number that will sadly raise in 2016 because countries are not being open to letting in refugees. This is disturbing, because these refugees are going to seek better lives, and escape wars that they were never part of. It is unfair and immoral to deny refugees a home in your country. It goes against the Declaration of Human Rights. Refugees deserve a better life, and it is unfair and immoral to deny them. Resolved: countries denying the entry of refugees should be denied of their membership to the United Nations. Although many people don’t want to get involved with helping refugees find new homes, it is everyone’s responsibility and the countries should lose their Membership of the UN by refusing to help.
The United Nations approach on the treatment of refugees is as follows. the Convention relating to the status of Refugees 1967 Protocol defines who a refugee is and explains what Rights countries should afford to refugees. A refugee is a person who is outside of their own country and is unable or unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their; race, religion, nationality, membership of a group or political
A refugee is a person who was forced to leave their country. Whether it be from warfare or natural disaster, their homes are no longer safe to live in, so they need to relocate elsewhere. Once someone sets foot on the journey of becoming a refugee, they become vulnerable and dependent with no sense of what the future will bring. In an attempt to accommodate them, first world countries with the resources necessary to assist these refugees, are struggling to determine whether or not they should step-in and help. Some argue that taking them in could come with excessive consequences, while others believe they could be assets. Although there may be a few consequences, they are outweighed by the benefits and undeniable severity of the situation.
In this paper, I will argue that the United States should accept more Syrian refugees by analyzing Miller and Kukathas’ arguments to reach the conclusion that Kukathas makes a more convincing argument because the freedom of movement argument and the humanity obligations of the United States outweigh the risks of a threatened cultural identity and economic state. The Syrian refugee crisis started in March of 2011 when anti-government groups began to protest against the government. These protests quickly became violent as the government turned to armed opposition groups to quiet the rebellion. This violence has created chaos in Syria as human rights are being violated everywhere and necessities are becoming scarce. There is no sign of an end approaching as the death toll reaches over 250,000. Syrians are escaping after seeing the destruction around their homes from airstrikes and bombings, killing many friends and family members. The U.N. estimates, a potential 11 million people are displaced, fleeing to nearby countries with refugee camps or Europe in hopes to gain citizenship. The journey to escape Syria is not an easy one with the threat of snipers and kidnappings for young men to fight for either cause. The need for aid continues to grow as humanitarian organizations attempt to keep up.
Wars have been always a menace and a threat to humanity. Throughout of the ages, the noble spirited and peace loving people have tried to bring an end to the hostility and conflicts among human beings. The adoption of Geneva Conventions in 1949 was seen as a significant break though in this regard and it was hoped that human sufferings resulting from armed conflicts will be minimized to a considerable extent if not eliminated completely. Even after the passage of about eight decades of the adoption of Geneva Conventions, this dream is still far from realization. During all these years we saw different nations interpreting and using the rules of Geneva Conventions in different ways suiting their interest.
Today immigration is one of the issues central to international affairs/economies of states. Currently many people are inhabited out side their home/birth country. According to UNHCR statistics, more than 100 million people are internally displaced/ living in refugee camps and/or are stateless (UNHCR statistics,2016). In
A refugee is defined as an individual who has been forced to leave their country due to political or religious reasons, or due to threat of war or violence. There were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2014, 14.4 million under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 2.9 million more than in 2013. The other 5.1 million Palestinian refugees are registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). With the displacement of so many people, it is difficult to find countries willing to accept all the refugees. There are over 125 different countries that currently host refugees, and with this commitment comes the responsibility of ensuring these refugees have access to