This thesis aims to construct a conceptual framework for characterising the relationship between duties to refugees and duties to fellow nationals. The need for such a framework is generated by the current impasse on the policy debate about the nature and scope of refugee rights. The thesis examines a range of liberal political theories to see if they can provide an adequate account, evaluating them on three criteria: normative desirability; practical feasibility; and internal coherence. The discussion criticises liberal theories on two levels. Firstly, it shows how liberal universalist theories raise a problem of moral motivation: they impose overly stringent ethical demands, and risk being counter-productive. Attempts to incorporate some notion of the significance of national ties or to justify a national social contract simply produce an incoherent amalgam of universalist and particularist premises. Secondly, the thesis argues that these problems reflect a more profound weakness in liberal theories of moral agency and motivation. Liberal theory relies on an assumed dichotomy between a personal and an impartial perspective. The moral agent is assumed to abstract from her personal characteristics to adopt an "ethical" view-point. This notion of impartiality is descriptively implausible, and produces a highly problematic rationalist theory of motivation. The thesis argues instead for an account that sees the agent as motivated by her personal disposition and community values to respect refugee rights. On this account there is no necessary conflict between particularism and duties to non-nationals. I develop this non-rationalist account by providing (1) a philosophical theory of motivation; substantiated by (2) a theory of the psychology of moral development. The thesis shows how this non-rationalist account is consistent with a substantive commitment to universal duties. Moreover, it fulfils the two additional criteria of internal coherence and feasibility, thus providing a superior conception of the relationship between duties to compatriots and to refugees.

The thesis provides an empirical basis for understanding state behaviour towards refugees by focusing on refugees in Kakuma Camp, Kenya. It compares and contrasts the experiences of encamped refugees with the experiences of Kenyans outside the camp, stressing the need to understand the socio-political context within which displacement and protection occurs. The study describes the processes of state formation in Kenya and the evolution of particular understandings of citizenship and membership. It argues that the state in Africa has, inherent within its foundations, exclusionary and discriminatory practices, which affect both citizens and noncitizens. These result in multiple sites of inclusion and exclusion based on membership of a variety of shifting groups, categories and networks. This observation suggests the need to re-evaluate our understanding of the dominant analytical concepts of 'state' as 'protector' and 'citizen' as 'insider' thus far used to address the issue of entitlement to rights, around which the refugee regime has been constructed. The thesis also underscores the importance of breaking out of the 'territorial trap', calling attention to the growing importance of international and transnational actors in defining the actions of the state and the direction of domestic policy. It points out that as refugees are progressively excluded from the realm of the nation-state, they increasingly turn to the international community, represented by international humanitarian actors, for recognition. This contributes to the marginalisation of the state in the management of refugee affairs, which has a negative impact both on the protection of refugee rights and the credibility of the state in the eyes of its citizens. In response to this development, the thesis questions the legitimacy and accountability of international humanitarian actors and emphasises the importance of bringing the state back into the centre of the refugee protection regime.

Botswana acceded to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and entered a reservation on section 26 relating to the freedom of movement of refugees within its borders justified on reasons of national security. As such, Botswana adopts a restrictive detention policy which requires that asylum seekers, whether alone or accompanied by their children, be held at the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants pending transfer to the Dukwi Refugee Camp if their application for refugee status is successful or deportation if unsuccessful. Botswana is therefore notorious for detaining asylum seekers including children for prolonged periods, in undesirable physical conditions, and in the process violating the asylum-seeking children's rights to among others, not to be unlawfully detained, the right to an adequate standard of living, family unity, the highest attainable standard of health, and basic education. The study therefore seeks to explore the laws safeguarding the right of asylum-seeking children not to be unlawfully detained in Botswana in an effort to assess the extent to which such laws comply with the standards set by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as the core international standard for the protection of children's rights, and other relevant international and regional instruments. In addition, the study will assess the extent to which such laws are given effect in practice. The study will also explore best international and regional practices on the protection of the right of asylum-seeking children not to be unlawfully detained with specific emphasis on the laws of Sweden and South Africa. The study concludes with recommendations based on standards set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant international and regional instruments, and best practices in the laws of Sweden and South Africa which Botswana may draw valuable lessons in order to effectively safeguard the right of asylum-seeking children not to be unlawfully detained.

Human rights and foreign policy often come together in dealing with humanitarian crises, especially when we consider how a country’s foreign policy affects the rights of refugees as protection of the refugees often involves bringing together international actors and different countries. One such example is the Rohingya refugee crisis. Since the outbreak of the Rohingya refugee crisis in 2017, Bangladesh’s foreign policy and its aims have directly impacted the rights of the refugees who have sought shelter in Bangladesh. The country has adopted a foreign policy that aims to seek assistance in hosting the refugees while putting pressure on Myanmar to take back the refugees. In doing so, Bangladesh has both protected the rights of refugees and has restricted or threatened them. Bangladesh’s identity as a Muslim majority state and also one of fast economic growth has played a significant role in shaping Bangladesh’s policy. A meaningful analysis of Bangladesh’s foreign policy concerning the Rohingya and its impact on their rights, therefore, requires us to use the theory of constructivism in international relations studies. Constructivism’s focus on identity as the primary shaping foreign policy grants us the tools to understand how and why Bangladesh treated the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.

This paper explores the application of human rights in the EU asylum policy. The prevention of terror and the strengthening of the area of Justice, Freedom and Security require tighter border controls, which consequently reflect negatively on asylum seekers and their human rights. Therefore this paper sets the aim to explore the application of human rights for EU asylum policy in respect to international obligations. There are three main objectives to be attained in the paper: to determine if the treatment of asylum seekers, Conventional Refugees and persons granted Subsidiary Protection in the EU corresponds to human rights obligations; to explore how certain rules regarding asylum are used for the purpose of migration controls; to assess the impact of such policies for the people in the need of international protection. The research has to determine the correctness of the hypothesis claiming that the application of human rights in the EU asylum policy is often oriented to migration controls rather than humanitarian obligations. The research is based on a theoretical analysis and uses primary as well as secondary data sources. The research determines that the hypothesis has been approved. Theoretical analysis based on the social-constructivist neo-institutionalism indicates the need for the incorporation of human rights into the EU asylum rules, the application of which is currently very vague. A remarkable part of the rules related to the EU asylum policy does not... [to full text] / Šiame darbe nagrinėjamas žmogaus teisių taikymas ES prieglobsčio politikoje. Terorizmo prevencija bei Teisingumo, laisvės bei saugumo erdvės stiprinimas reikalauja griežtesnės sienų kontrolės, kas neigiamai atsiliepia prieglobsčio prašytojams bei jų žmogaus teisėms. Ryšium su tuo, šio darbo tikslas – ištirti žmogaus teisių taikymą ES prieglobsčio politikoje tarptautinių įsipareigojimų atžvilgiu. Darbe siekiama įgyvendinti tris pagrindinius uždavinius: nustatyti, ar elgesys su prieglobsčio prašytojais, konvenciniais Pabėgėliais bei asmenims, kuriems suteikta Papildoma apsauga, atitinka tarptautinius žmogaus teisių įsipareigojimus; ištirti, kaip tam tikros su prieglobsčiu susijusios taisyklės yra naudojamos migracijos kontrolės tikslais; įvertinti atitinkamos politikos poveikį asmenims, kuriems reikalinga tarptautinė apsauga. Tyrimu siekiama patvirtinti arba paneigti hipotezę, teigiančią, jog dažnais atvejais žmogaus teisių taikymas ES prieglobsčio politikoje yra orientuotas ne į humanitarinius įsipareigojimus, bet į migracijos kontrolę. Darbas paremtas teorine analize, naudojant pirminius bei antrinius šaltinius. Tyrimu nustatyta, jog iškelta hipotezė pasitvirtino. Teorinė analizė, paremta socialkonstruktyviuoju neoinstitucionalizmu, identifikavo poreikį į ES prieglobsčio politikos taisykles įtraukti žmogaus teises, kurių taikymas šiuo metu yra labai vangus. Ženkli su ES prieglobsčio politika susijusių taisyklių dalis neatitinka žmogaus teisių įsipareigijimų. Non-entré... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / The study assesses the application of policies on the right of refugees and asylum seekers with regard to the education of their children, and the many challenges impeding this right. Fundamental changes in the legal framework protecting the right to education of the children of refugees and asylum seekers have been in place since 1994, when South Africa became a democratic state. The principles of international treaties recognising the rights of children were incorporated into the Constitution of South Africa of 1996, demonstrating South Africa’s commitment to the protection of children’s rights. However, studies have suggested that, refugees’ and asylum seekers’ children have been discriminated against in terms of access to education, despite the legislative framework which provides for equal and inclusive education in South Africa. Access to education for migrant children in South Africa is invariably met with challenges which constitute a violation of the Constitution and international law. This study assessed policies and practices affecting refugees’ and asylum seekers’ children to access primary schools in a democratic South Africa. The researcher argues that access to education for refugees and asylum seeker’s children must be guided by the social justice principle of “every child deserves an education”, regardless of the legality of their parents in South Africa. Failure to afford them the opportunity to study is a violation of the Constitution and international law. The study used semi-structured interviews based on a questionnaire. Participants included parents who were refugees or asylum seekers, schools’ principals, and officials from Scalabrini Centre and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). The data collected from respondents was presented, discussed and analyzed through a thematic analysis approach. From data collected, it was possible to identify the barriers preventing refugees’ and asylum seeker’s children from accessing education. Some of the barriers were generated from gaps in migration policy, ineffective policy implementation, poor documentation and various institutional challenges. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that South African lawmakers formulate policies that speak to the needs of the refugee child and amend the current migration policy to make it more reasonable and accommodative with regard to meeting the needs of migrants’ children in general, and refugee’ and asylum seekers’ children in particular. This would enable South Africa to uphold the constitutional values and its international obligations in relation to the promotion and protection of the right to education for all children.

Bakom Rubrikerna (Behind the headlines) is a project that uses visual communication and the idea of negative space to critique Swedish media, politicians, and the discourse regarding refugees with different backgrounds (cultural, geographical, socioeconomical, religious, political) and ethnicities. It explores the concept of selective sympathy and what role media, especially newsprints, have in recreating harmful narratives around certain refugees. The project aims to give the reader a deeper understanding of the harmful Eurocentric and xenophobic views that influence refugee politics and media’s coverage of the two different refugee (human) crises, in 2015 and today, in 2022.

The thesis aims to examine the approaches of humanitarian organizations towards achieving gender transformative changes and the challenges as well as obstacles to implementing gender transformative programming in the ongoing humanitarian response in Bangladesh for the Rohingyas since 2017. The research is conducted through applying qualitative methodology, consisting of document analysis and interviews. The document analysis is based on annual reports and gender analysis of humanitarian organizations working in the Rohingya response. Eight interviews conducted for this thesis provide insights and reflection from gender practitioners who are implementing gender transformative programs. The gender transformative approach focuses on removing the barriers, so women and men can achieve full access to resources and opportunities promoting gender equality and a gender transformative program that adopts the approach from the development till the results stage. The gender integration continuum tool and Gender and Age Marker (GAM) help gender practitioners evaluate and shape their programs with a transformative approach. The transformative programs are crucial for the response considering the existing gender gaps and needs, and for the humanitarian organizations to recognize the need for and importance of gender transformative programs. The barriers and challenges of implementing a gender transformative program in the Rohingya crisis are mainly three types: a) legal, b) structural, and c) cultural challenges. The lack of refugee rights of the Rohingyas results in establishing a response mechanism that is based on practical needs rather than strategic needs. It also hinders the implementation of the GBV case management program. There are structural challenges arising from the lack of capacity among the staff members, limited allocation of time from unequal practices, and lack of gender mainstreaming in humanitarian organizations. Culturally, the tendency to follow universal transformative program models and the reluctance of the humanitarian community to invest in gender transformative programs creates challenges in implementing gender transformative programs.

This paper addresses the principle of care in the recast asylum procedure directive (2013/32/EU). The purpose of the study has been to analyze how the principle of care is expressed in the directive regarding procedures for granting or rejecting asylum, as well as to analyze how the directive was implemented in Sweden. The recast asylum procedure directive aims to harmonize EU’s member states' procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection. Initially, this paper describes how the directive was created and how the principle of care is expressed in the directive and the meaning and content of the principle of care at EU level as well as its content and meaning according to Swedish law. To conclude, the Swedish implementation of the directive’s provisions directly connected to the principle of care will be discussed. The principle of care is one of the principles of good governance. The principles of good governance have been important in EU law to ensure legal protection for individuals when they are in contact with authorities of EU or Member States. In the analysis, what is found is that the principle of care can be divided into several sub-principles or requirements: individuals’ right to get their affairs treated; the obligation of authorities to investigate a request in an impartial manner; fair procedure and handling; authorities’ duty to take individual interests in consideration; authorities’ obligation to act within reasonable time and also other requirements regarding routines and procedure. Since a major part of this paper regards analyzing the relationship between EU law and national Swedish law, a discussion about the Member States’ institutional and procedural autonomy towards EU is also included. A conclusion is that the Swedish implementation of the directive's provisions related to the principle of care was deficient and that the directive itself restricts the Member States’ institutional and procedural autonomy. / Den här uppsatsen behandlar omsorgsprincipen i det omarbetade asylprocedurdirektivet (2013/32/EU). Syftet med arbetet är att analysera hur omsorgsprincipen uttrycks i direktivet avseende procedurer för beviljandet eller avslag av asyl, samt hur direktivet har genomförts i Sverige. Det omarbetade asylprocedurdirektivet syftar till att harmonisera EU- medlemsstaternas förfarande vid ansökan om internationellt skydd. Inledningsvis redogörs för hur direktivet skapades och hur omsorgsprincipen uttrycks i direktivet, vad omsorgsprincipen omfattar på EU-nivå, liksom principens omfattning i svensk rätt. Avslutningsvis analyseras genomförandet av direktivets bestämmelser med anknytning till omsorgsprincipen i svensk rätt. Omsorgsprincipen är en av principerna om god förvaltning. Principerna om god förvaltning har varit viktiga inom EU-rätten för att säkerställa ett rättsskydd för enskilda när dessa är i kontakt med EU:s eller medlemsstaternas myndigheter. Analysen kommer fram till att omsorgsprincipen kan delas in i flera mindre principer eller krav: enskildes rätt att få sina angelägenheter behandlade; myndigheters skyldighet att på ett opartiskt sätt undersöka en begäran; rättvis procedur och handläggning; myndigheters skyldighet att väga in enskildes intresse; myndigheters skyldighet att agera inom rimlig tid; samt andra krav på handläggningsrutiner. Eftersom en huvuddel av den här uppsatsen handlar om att analysera relationen mellan EU-rätt och svensk rätt, förs också en diskussion om medlemsstaternas institutionella och processuella autonomi gentemot EU. Slutligen presenteras slutsatsen att det svenska genomförandet av direktivets bestämmelser som anknyter till omsorgprincipen varit bristande och att direktivet har begränsat såväl medlemsstaternas institutionella som processuella autonomi.