The number of refugees worldwide has never been higher, with an estimate of 65.3 million forcibly displaced persons by the end of 2015. The brunt of the material, economic and social burdens these waves of often destitute persons represent is borne by a minority of closeproximity States, ill-equipped to handle mass influxes of people in dire need of protection and assistance. This dissertation explores the legal obligations of States to share the burden of international refugees, through four select research questions. Firstly, the existence of universal and regional obligations to burden-share are examined. Secondly, the legality of the 'third safe country' notion is examined under international law. Thirdly, the economic responsibilities of refugee-generating States towards refugees, asylum States and the UNHCR is examined. Fourthly, the obligations of States to rescue asylum seekers in distress at sea, and to process their asylum claims is examined. The fundamental observation of the dissertation is that although the 1951 Convention provides a generous set of rights to persecuted persons, its primary shortcoming in the context of this dissertation, is the lack of a clear and positive obligation, ensuring a fair distribution of the burdens of refugees between the signatory States. However, regional efforts do, to a degree, mitigate this issue by establishing obligations which seek to distribute the costs and burdens of refugees.

South Africa is one of the top regional destinations for refugees and asylum seekers. The South African government has chosen to adopt local integration as its main strategy in dealing with the refugees and asylum seekers it currently hosts, as opposed to housing refugees in camps. This step has been hailed as progressive, and the Refugee Act has espoused the issuing of progressive identity documents to refugees and asylum seekers as the viaduct through which refugees and asylum seekers can become fully integrated. In this regard then, refugee and asylum seeker identity documents are critical and the study sought to investigate the extent to which this policy intent of using identity documents to facilitate integration had become a reality. The study began by looking at the evolution of refugee and asylum seeker law in South Africa. From there it looked at the differences between refugees and asylum seekers, and what distinguishes them from other migrants such as economic migrants. Thereafter the study looked at theoretical frameworks surrounding migration and integration, especially as pertains to the refugee and asylum seeker context. In particular, the study sought to present the experiences of identity documents in facilitating integration from two main perspectives namely the refugees and asylum seekers who are issued with and make use of these identity documents, and service providers who interact with these documents on a daily basis and provide services to the refugee and asylum seeker communities. The findings presented highlight that despite the progressive evolution of refugee law in South Africa, the role of these identity documents, in facilitating access to services and promoting integration, has largely failed, from the practical to the policy level.

This thesis explores the relationship between restrictive screening techniques imposed by landlords and the ability of refugee claimants to access housing in a medium-sized Canadian city. While existing research has explored refugees’ experiences with resettlement, few have focused specifically on refugee claimants who arrive in their destination country with specific health needs, limited resources, and access to different services compared to other entry categories. Using qualitative research techniques, this study sought to better understand the experiences of refugee claimants as they search for housing in a medium-sized Canadian city. Through interviews with service providers, volunteers, and refugee claimants themselves, three main themes were identified. First, we explore the relationship between a competitive housing market and the ability of landlords to be selective about who they rent to. Our findings suggest that the power imbalance between landlords, tenants and applicants is only amplified in a competitive market and allows landlords to choose applicants based on their own personal biases. Second, participants identified strict rental applications as the primary mechanism used by landlords to filter applications and identify tenants that they deemed to be “desirable”, while excluding other groups. In many cases, refugee claimants were found to be uniquely (and negatively) impacted by this practice because they often do not have the personal or financial resources available to successfully fill out these applications. Finally, participants identified two structural barriers which hindered a refugee claimants’ ability to access housing and, when combined with strict rental applications, often resulted in their exclusion from housing. This thesis is relevant to the current Canadian context, given the government’s continued commitment to resettling refugees and the increasingly competitive housing markets across Canada. Overall, this thesis adds to the existing literature regarding the resettlement experiences of refugee claimants and their ability to access housing in a medium-sized Canadian city. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

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Large numbers of refugees enter into U.S. public schools each year, and school leaders are held accountable for their achievement. School leaders must find ways to support the needs of all of their students despite their race, socioeconomic status, proficiency in English, ability levels, and nationality. The purpose of this study was to examine what refugee parents, teachers of refugee students, and administrators who have refugee students in their schools perceived as factors affecting the performance of refugee students. School leaders need this information regarding these perceived factors to be able to make sound decisions regarding instructional practices with refugee students that assist them in being successful in school. This phenomenological, qualitative study was designed to use focus group interviews with refugee parents, teachers, and administrators to learn more about and engage in meaningful dialog about this increasingly present population of students in order to investigate academic strategies and programs that parents, teachers, and administrators feel would help refugee students achieve at higher rates. The setting for this study was a school division in central Virginia with approximately 50,000 students—approximately 2,900 of them as English language learners. The researcher used purposeful sampling to select participants for focus groups. Each focus group—a group of refugee parents who had children in various levels, groups of teachers of refugee students separated by level (elementary and secondary), and a group of administrators with refugees in their school (a combined group of elementary and secondary administrators)—was comprised of five to seven members. The following were areas noted by seven out of seven (100%) parents as affecting the performance of refugee students: communication, communication with parents, cultural differences, parental involvement, homework, and resources and materials. Six out of seven (86%) parents noted the following as affecting the performance of refugee students: language barrier, previous schooling, relationships, peer relationships, and translated documents. The following were noted by six out of six (100%) elementary teachers as possible factors affecting the performance of refugee students: community support, cultural differences, parental involvement, past experiences, relationships, resources and materials, and staff development. Five out of six (83%) elementary teachers perceived the following as affecting the performance of refugee students: communication with parents and peer relationships. Four out of six (67%) elementary teachers perceived the following as affecting the performance of refugee students: communication, previous schooling, politics, and student to teacher relationships. The following were noted by five out of five (100%) secondary teachers as possible factors affecting the performance of refugee students: cultural differences, past experiences, and resources and materials. Four out of five (80%) secondary teachers perceived the following as affecting the performance of refugee students: community support, politics, relationships, staff development, being informed of when students were arriving, and teacher strategies. Three out of five (60%) secondary teachers perceived the following as affecting the performance of refugee students: language barrier, PTSD, peers relationships, student to teacher relationships, and sensitivity training. Five out of five (100%) administrators perceived parental involvement to be a factor that affects the performance of refugee students. Four out of five (80%) administrators perceived the following as affecting the performance of refugee students: communication, communication with parents, community support, cultural differences, language barrier, past experiences, and resources and materials. Three out of five (60%) administrators perceived the following as affecting the performance of refugee students: communication with students, visiting school, interpreters, translated documents, and staff development. These data suggest that school leaders have work to do regarding meeting the needs of refugee students so that they can be successful in public schools. / Ed. D.

During the refugee crises in Sweden 2015, it became clear that there are several disadvantages with the Swedish reception system. It is well known that refugees and other immigrants are not distributed equally among the country's municipalities. An even distribution is important for a successful reception and integration according to the Swedish Authorities and Regions. The purpose of this paper is to analyze what factors could be the reason for an uneven distribution of refugees in Sweden. To analyze the question, secondary data is used from 2006 to 2015 in order to make pooled regressions and Least Squares Dummy Variable (LSDV) models. Different data is collected that may be related to the dependent variable of new arrivals per capita based on previous studies and theories. In addition, we are aware that there are more aspects that can affect the municipal reception but cannot be measured in this study. The study found that the following investigated variables are associated with the number of arrivals received in a municipality. It was shown that the percentage of former foreign-born in the municipality had a positive correlation with the proportion of new arrivals and it also suggested that these new arrivals settle in areas with others from similar backgrounds. An unexpected result was the percentage of seniors in a community that affects the dependent variable positively. Additionally, the average income in a municipality shows a negative correlation, whereby this result could be explained from people with similar incomes living in similar areas. The study also analyzed the education level of people which shows a negative relationship that can be justified in a similar way. It was also found that unemployment affects new arrivals positively but the results are not clear.  It was found that housing deficits have a negative relationship with the dependent variable, whilst housing surplus has a positive correlation which was expected. Countryside municipalities show a positive result that is statistically significant and the metropolitan municipality has a negative impact, however this result is not statistically significant. As for political power, this does not show any connection with the dependent variable on new arrivals. It can be explained by using the median voter theorem which explains how the parties attract the greatest number of voters.   Keywords: Refugee policy, Refugee, Municipality, Regression analysis. / Under flyktingkrisen i Sverige 2015 blev det påtagligt att det finns brister i det svenska mottagningssystemet, det uppmärksammades att nyanlända inte fördelas jämnt mellan landets kommuner. En jämn fördelning är enligt Sveriges kommuner och landsting (SKL) viktig för ett lyckat mottagande och integration. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka frågan: ”Vad kan den ojämna fördelningen av nyanlända mellan landets kommuner bero på?” För att analysera frågeställningen används i uppsatsen sekundärdata mellan 2006–2015, metoden som används är poolade regressioner och minsta kvadratdummyvariabel (LSDV) modellen. Data samlas över sådana variabler som bör ha ett samband med den beroende variabeln nyanlända/capita utifrån tidigare studier samt teorier. Utöver valda variabler är vi medvetna om att det finns fler saker som kan påverka kommuners mottagande men som inte mäts i denna studie. Studien finner att ett antal av de undersökta variablerna har ett samband med antalet nyanlända som mottages i en kommun.  Andel tidigare utlandsfödda i kommunen har ett positivt samband med andel nyanlända vilket kan bero på att många nyanlända bosätter sig i områden där det finns personer med liknande bakgrund. Medelinkomsten i en kommun visar sig ha ett negativt samband till den beroende variabeln vilket möjligen beror på att personer med liknande inkomst bosätter sig i liknande områden. Utbildningsnivå är också negativt relaterat till andel nyanlända som mottages i en och kan motiveras på liknande sätt som medelinkomst. Andel pensionärer i en kommun har ett positivt samband med den beroende variabeln vilket är ett oväntat resultat. Arbetslöshet har också ett positivt samband med andelen nyanlända men resultaten är otydliga. Bostadsunderskott har ett negativt samband med den beroende variabeln medan bostadsöverskott har ett positivt samband vilket var väntat. Landsbygdskommuner visar ett positivt samband som är statistiskt säkerställt, storstadskommun har ett negativt samband men resultatet är inte signifikant. Politiskt styre visar inte något samband till den beroende variabeln nyanlända per capita vilket kan förklaras med hjälp av medianväljarteoremet.   Nyckelord: Flyktingmottagande, nyanlända, kommuner, regressionsanalys.

Thesis advisor: Hiroshi Nakazato / The Iraq War began on March 30, 2003, prompted by the US-led invasion of Iraq. This major, long-lasting conflict resulted in a drastic increase in the number of internally displaced Iraqis as well as Iraqi refugees. The resulting stream of Iraqi refugees is known as the Iraqi refugee crisis. This thesis first conducts a literature review the field of refugee studies, including a review of major theoretical works. From this review emerge theories and frameworks governing the root causes of refugee crises and the resulting consequences. Within the context of the Iraq War, this thesis then analyzes the policy response of the United States to the Iraqi refugee crisis. This analysis is comprised of various models of factors and variables that influence national and international refugee policy. The conclusion suggests that national security considerations, bureaucratic tension due to a principal-agent relationship between Congress and the president, as well as wider foreign policy and Iraqi-US relations, were the major factors that influenced the US policy response. Eventually, additional moral and ethical considerations provoked a change in policy, making the United States more receptive to Iraqi refugee admissions. In doing so, this thesis presents the US policy response against the backdrop of the United Nations Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, the body governing the international refugee regime. It suggests that compliance with its mandate has become increasingly difficult, as the landscape of refugee flows has evolved over the twentieth century. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: International Studies Honors Program. / Discipline: International Studies.

<p>I slutet av 1970-talet började allt fler flyktingar söka sig till Sverige och det kom att bli behov av ett system för att ta emot och integrera flyktingar som fått uppehållstillstånd. Efter år 1985 baseras svensk flyktingmottagning på överenskommelser och samarbete mellan Migrationsverket och enskilda kommuner. Staten har det övergripande ekonomiska ansvaret för flyktingmottagningen, och landets kommuner anordnar mottagandet och organiserar samhällsservice för flyktingarna. Enligt en lista från Migrationsverket är flyktingmottagandet i Sverige inte jämnt fördelat över landet -vissa kommuner tar till exempelvis inte emot några flyktingar överhuvudtaget.</p><p>Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar kommunernas flyktingmottagande. Den fråga som uppsatsen har för avsikt att besvara är:</p><p>• Hur påverkar variablerna medelinkomst, arbetslöshet, åldersfördelning, bostadsbrist, socialistiskt eller borgerligt styre, andelen Sverigedemokratiska mandat i kommunfullmäktige samt andelen tidigare utländska medborgare i kommunen, de olika kommunernas flyktingmottagande?</p><p>Med hjälp av statistisk sambandsanalys kommer vi fram till följande resultat:</p><p>• Andelen utländska medborgare som redan bor i kommunen har en stark positiv påverkan på andelen mottagna flyktingar. Det vill säga om andelen utländska medborgare i kommunen redan är stor så är också flyktingmottagandet stort.</p><p>• Medelinkomsten samverkar negativt med andelen flyktingar som tas emot i kommunen, vilket innebär att ju högre medelinkomst desto färre flyktingar tas emot.</p><p>• Borgerligt styre i en kommun har en negativ påverkan på flyktingmottagandet. Dock kan man inte säga att socialistiskt styrda kommuner eller andelen Sverigedemokratiska mandat i kommunfullmäktige skulle ha någon positiv påverkan på flyktingmottagande, det vill säga att det skulle leda till ett ökat flyktingmottagande.</p><p>• I takt med ökad arbetslöshet i kommunen minskar flyktingmottagandet</p><p>• Bostadsbristen har en svag negativ påverkan på mottagandet, kommunerna tar emot färre flyktingar vid ökad bostadsbrist.</p> / <p>In the late 1970: s more refugees began to apply for citizenship in Sweden and a demand for a new system to handle and integrate the refugees appeared. Since 1985 the Swedish refugee reception are based on agreements and cooperation between Migrationsverket and individual municipalities. The state has the overall economic responsibility for the refugee reception, while the municipalities organize the reception and public service for the refugees. However according to a list from Migrationsverket the refugee reception in Sweden is irregularly distributed over the country - some municipalities do not accept any refugees at all.</p><p>The aim of this essay is to examine which factors that influence the municipalities’ willingness to accept refugees. The question the essay intends to answer is:</p><p>• How does the variables average income, unemployment, age distribution, housing shortage, political majority, the number of seats the political party Sverigedemokraterna holds in the municipal council and the proportion of former foreign citizens, influences the different municipalities' willingness to accept refugees?</p><p>With help of statistic analysis following results emerged:</p><p>• The proportion of foreign citizens that already live in a municipality have a considerable impact on the proportion of received refugees. Videlicet if the proportion of former foreign citizens is large already, also the refugee reception is large.</p><p>• The average income interacts negatively with the proportion refugees that are accepted in a municipality.</p><p>• Non-Socialist majority in a municipality have a negative effect on the refugee reception. However, one can not say that a socialist majority or how many seats the political party Sverigedemokraterna holds in the municipal council have any impact on the refugee reception.</p><p>• Increased unemployment in a municipality decreases the refugee reception.</p><p>• A shortage of housing has a small negative impact on the reception.</p>

This thesis in sociology was based on a qualitative research strategy. Its intention was to analyze how a specific county in the middle of Sweden work to make the integration process of the unaccompanied refugee youths, with a Swedish residence permit, as good as possible, the other intention was to find out the possible following of this work. Interviews were done and statistics were found, this later on became analyzed together with the theories. The basic theories were integration and class theory. The mainly finding in this study was that that the integration of the unaccompanied refugee children leads them into a lower society class of the Swedish community. This since these youth are more of less forced to follow some steps in the education, which for many of them will lead to that they are too old to apply to the national gymnasium in Sweden, and therefore they only get education though the introduction program, which is not leading to a graduation from the gymnasium. Because of this they are not getting the same chances to succeed with the same kind of education as youth on other programs in the Swedish gymnasium.