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Refugee Rights inInternational Law

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Introduction

• Refugees a World-Wide Challenge• International Law Provides Minimum Human

Rights for Refugees• Key Definitions:– Refugee– Asylum Seeker– Internally Displaced Person– Migrant– Stateless Person– Returnees

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International Refugee Law

• 1951 Refugee Convention– establishes rights & standards

• 1967 Protocol– removes Convention’s time & place restrictions– incorporates Conventions rights & standards

• Other International Human Rights Agreements• International Humanitarian Law Agreements• Regional Agreements• Non-Binding Documents

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Regional Refugee Law

• Africa– African Charter on Human & People’s Rights– AU Convention Governing Refugee Problems– African Charter on Child Rights & Welfare

• Europe– Convention for Protection of Human Rights– Council of Europe Agreements

• The Americas– Human Rights Agreements– Refugee Agreements

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Refugee Law in the U.S.

• Party to 1967 Refugee Convention Protocol

• 2005 Act Tightened Asylum Due to Terrorism

• Asylum Criteria:– refugee, of special humanitarian concern,

and not barred by certain actions– burden of proof on applicant on refugee

status– past vs. future persecution– internal relocation must be unreasonable

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Other U.S. Immigration Options

• Withholding of Removal

• Deferral of Removal

• Temporary Protected Status

• Deferred Enforced Departure

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Concerns With Asylum System

• Security

• Fraud

• Overburdening Host Government

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Key Civil Rights • Treatment Without Discrimination• Survival Rights• Due Process• Freedom of Movement• Education• Work• Freedom of Thought, Conscience,

Religion• Freedom of Association• Right of Non-Refoulement

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Cessation of Refugee Status

• Voluntary Return

• New Nationality

• Circumstances Causing Refugee Status Cease

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