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Lecture

Asylum after WWII

In course

HUM-446: Governing global migration I

This course examines key areas of contemporary migration politics in a historical perspective, such as refugee protection, border security, and regional integration. It also trains students in methods of documentary research. ...

Description

This lecture covers the new protection priorities after WWII, the population movements in Europe, the origins of UNHCR and the IC, the definition of a refugee, key rights granted to refugees, and key changes in asylum policy between League of Nations and United Nations.

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Related concepts (10)

Refugee

A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a person who has lost the protection of their country of origin and who cannot or is unwilling to return there due to well-founded fear of persecution. Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until granted refugee status by the contracting state or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) if they formally make a claim for asylum.

Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention or the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who a refugee is and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum. The Convention also sets out which people do not qualify as refugees, such as war criminals. The Convention also provides for some visa-free travel for holders of refugee travel documents issued under the convention.

Refugee law

Refugee law is the branch of international law which deals with the rights and duties states have vis-a-vis refugees. There are differences of opinion among international law scholars as to the relationship between refugee law and international human rights law or humanitarian law. The discussion forms part of a larger debate on the fragmentation of international law. While some scholars conceive each branch as a self-contained regime distinct from other branches, others regard the three branches as forming a larger normative system that seeks to protect the rights of all human beings at all time.

Refugee children

Nearly half of all refugees are children, and almost one in three children living outside their country of birth is a refugee. These numbers encompass children whose refugee status has been formally confirmed, as well as children in refugee-like situations. In addition to facing the direct threat of violence resulting from conflict, forcibly displaced children also face various health risks, including: disease outbreaks and long-term psychological trauma, inadequate access to water and sanitation, nutritious food, health care [6] and regular vaccination schedules.

Refugee camp

A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displaced people. Usually, refugees seek asylum after they have escaped war in their home countries, but some camps also house environmental and economic migrants. Camps with over a hundred thousand people are common, but as of 2012, the average-sized camp housed around 11,400.

Related lectures (13)

International Refugee Regime: Origins and Evolution

Explores the origins of the international refugee regime after WWI and the evolution post-WWII, including the differentiation between refugees and migrants, legal protection, the role of the League of Nations, and the support provided by organizations like the Red Cross.

Asylum during the Pandemic

Explores the legal position on asylum-seekers during the pandemic and the challenges faced by refugees in overcrowded camps.

EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

Discusses the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, covering economic migration, asylum issues, the Dublin regulation, and 'solidarity' among EU members.

Debate Logistics

Covers the logistics for a virtual debate where students will write peer-reviews, participate in real-time debates, and follow a specific schedule.

Key Themes from this Semester