The thesis examines the relationship between Britain’s Jews, both established and refugee, with the host community from 1938 to 1948. The relationship is studied in the light of events in Europe and the Near East from the 1938 Anschluss to the 1948 founding of Israel and the ways they impacted upon Jews in Britain. The work shows a positive reaction towards Jews in Britain, with few, but specific exceptions. Existing academic work has often concentrated on those exceptions, particularly in the East End of London. This study looks at the wider Jewish experience to show a more peaceful and tolerant coexistence than has formally been presented, especially to recently arrived Jews. The focus of the thesis is on the different personal experiences of Jews in Britain, against the more familiar high political context of the period. The thesis does not dispute the existence of anti-Semitism, but shows that it was limited to traditional geographical areas and has been in many cases confused with a more general xenophobia towards any ‘outsider’ or ‘foreigner’. It also deals with what the study refers to as ‘pragmatic’ government decisions regarding Jews and highlights some non-Jewish reactions which have been seen as discriminatory, but in fact were often born out of naive ignorance or having no realistic alternative. Using different approaches to examine a wide and fragmented cross section of Jews, the thesis shows the internal struggle many faced when dealing with the issues of what it meant to be British, a Jew and for some, a desire to have a safe homeland in Palestine. Overall, it is a study in the transformation of Jewish society in Britain from being deferential and submissive to one of assertiveness and self-reliance born out of necessity.

The purpose of my thesis Position of war refugees in international law is to analyze particular types of protection of war refugees, to construe unclear legal provisions and to evaluate suitability of possible solutions. The thesis focuses on specifics of the position of war refugees and on options of their protection. The research question relates to the determination who a war refugee is and how his situation is solved in international law. The reason for this research is my great interest in refugee law and the current instability of the position of war refugees. The methodology used during writing the thesis was the analysis, comparison and description. The thesis is composed of three chapters, each of them dealing with different aspects of the position and the protection of war refugees. Chapter One defines characteristics of war refugees and addresses the issue of armed conflicts. Chapter Two concerns individual options of protection of war refugees in international law. This part concentrates primarily on issues related to the broader refugee definition, asylum and subsidiary protection. Within this chapter subsidiary protection is examined from a general point of view, as well as in relation to provisions of particular legal instruments. Furthermore, it pays close attention to the law of...

In February 2022 the lives of millions of people all over Europe have been divided into two parts – before and after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fearing for their lives, 5,2 million Ukrainians were forced to relocate to neighbouring countries, women and children accounting for about 90% of all refugees leaving Ukraine, as with few exceptions men are prohibited from leaving Ukraine by law. The law has created an advantage and an ethical dilemma for numerous women: they can either seek safety outside Ukraine, meaning they would have to leave their husbands, brothers, and fathers, or stay together but risk their own lives instead. This thesis aims to investigate the effect of the war on women’s rights and the nature of artificially created gender advantage. It aims to answer the following research questions: what current implications does the war in Ukraine have on women’s rights and how do these implications affect women’s decision to leave Ukraine? Through interviewing volunteers who work with Ukrainian refugees it was discovered that what creates a gender difference and a foundation of an advantage to a certain extent is that women are much more exposed to the danger of sexual violence and human trafficking. They also experience larger financial difficulties resulting in poverty and health complications. But it is the parenthood and the desire to protect their children that actually drives women’s decision to leave Ukraine and seek shelter in other countries, even if it means that they will be separated from their families. By creating a gender advantage, government is trying to rescue children and future generations. They cannot leave alone because someone has to take care of them, and it is usually a mother who would do this in Ukraine due to an existing gender order, so women gain an advantage by proxy, while an actual advantage is given to children.

"The debate over the effectiveness of the laws to address the situation of children in armed conflict, the political will of the international community to alleviate the plight of children in such situations, as well as the search for effective strategies to address the issue of children affected by war, remains lively and unsettled. This study aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion with a focus on northern Uganda where, for the last 19 years, children have been suffering as a result of armed conflict with no response from the international community. It appears that the government, the armed forces and the international community have simply ignored their plight. ... The study is divided into four chapters; chapter one discusses the internal and international armed conflict dichotomy. It further discusses legal protection that exists under international law for children. An overview of the current standard-setting efforts, enforcement and implementation of these laws is also considered in the chapter. Chapter two considers particular risks faced by children in armed conflict including the child soldier phenomenon; refugee and internally displaced persons (IDPs); sexual abuse and exploitation of children; and the impact of landmines and unexploded ornances on children. The chapter finally looks at actions the international community can take to protect children in compliance with international law. Chapter three gives a background to the conflict in northern Uganda; it discusses the groups of children at risk and the failure to prioritise the protection of children by all actors at the local and international level. Chapter four draws a conclusion and gives recommendations to the ongoing search for effective strategies to address the plight of children affected by war with focus on northern Uganda. These recommendations are addressed to the government, the armed group and the international community." -- Introduction. / Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM