Nov20
The U.S. State Governors and the Syrian Refugees
United States, November 20, 2015
A number of U.S. state Governors recently announced their opposition to the continued resettlement of Syrian refugees within the United States. In this RefNote, Professor Richard Primus addresses the legality of U.S. state governments actions under the U.S. Constitution.
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Nov13
Khlaifia and Others v Italy: Italy again held in violation of collective expulsions by ECtHR
November 13, 2015
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held Italy in violation of Article 4 of Protocol 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the collective expulsion of aliens.
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Oct6
Complicity under Article 1F(a) of the 1951 Convention
October 6, 2015
Given the prevalence of armed conflict and its essentially civilian nature, more and more individuals have the potential of falling within the provisions of Article 1F(a) of the Convention. The focus of this article is on “complicity” and how this is applied and interpreted by some of the leading jurisdictions in international refugee law to exclude individuals from Convention refugee status under Article 1F(a).
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Sep30
The Often Fine Line Between Asylum Seeker and Smuggler
Canada, September 30, 2015
In February of this year, the Supreme Court of Canada heard four cases of sea-borne asylum seekers found to be ineligible for refugee protection because they helped other refugees come to Canada illegally. This is the first time in the history of international refugee law that the highest court of a country will address this issue.
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Sep17
Moving Beyond the Asylum Muddle
September 17, 2015
Hungary’s decision this week to seal its border with Serbia with massive coils of barbed wire is an affront to any notion of good faith implementation of refugee law obligations.
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Aug22
Hispaniola: A Current Stateless Issue and a Looming Refugee Crisis
Dominican Republic, August 22, 2015
August 22, 2015 Julie Kornfeld Third-year student at the University of Michigan Law School. On Hispaniola, the island divided between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the early stages of a...
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Aug6
Palestinian Refugees and the Protection Gap
Syria, August 6, 2015
In April, the UN issued a press statement regarding the desperate condition of Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, Syria. Due to the UNRWA’s inability to provide protection for certain Palestinian refugees who fall within their operational definition, an unprotected population of refugees has been created.
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Jul20
Uighur Refugee Dispute Sheds Light on Thai Asylum Practices
Thailand, July 20, 2015
In March, a Thai court ruled that a group of 17 Uighur refugees would remain in detention until their nationalities were proven. Although the Turkish government had provided the group and other Uighur refugees with passports and travel permission, China claimed they were Uighur Muslims from Xinjiang, and asked Thailand for repatriation to China. The ensuing diplomatic tension has resulted in the repatriation of many Uighur refugees to China and shed light on Thai asylum practices.
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Jul12
How to Sink a Boat: A Legal Analysis of the Right to Seek Asylum
European Union, July 12, 2015
In a surprisingly bold move, the European Union (E.U.) recently asked the United Nations to green light the use of force against boats containing “smuggled” immigrants on the Mediterranean Sea. This disturbing news has been met with a wave of protest from advocates and scholars alike, who deplore the E.U.’s plan because it denies these immigrants their fundamental rights. Many have been left wondering, what is the legal basis for the E.U.’s actions? And could the United Nations conceivably approve such a plan?
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Jun3
Privacy and Impunity in South Africa
South Africa, June 3, 2015
On September 26, 2014 the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria handed down its decision in CoRMSA v President of the Republic of South Africa, upholding the grant of refugee status to former Rwandan general Faustin Kayumba Nywamwasa despite allegations of his involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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