The Law of International Protection: Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Module code: LW7265
This module will provide an introduction to international law principles governing the protection of forced migrants, and to the related institutional framework. We will begin with an examination of refugee status, the most well-known form of international protection, followed by an exploration of the possibilities for protection of those who do not qualify as refugees. In addition to examining the 1951 Refugee Convention, the cornerstone of the framework for international protection, and the international human rights instruments that provide subsidiary protection, we will study the different regional systems of international protection. We will also address the increasingly important question of protection for persons whose displacement occurs in the context of environmental change, as well as the framework for protection of persons whose displacement takes places within the borders of their country of origin. We will conclude with a critical review of the current framework for international protection by examining TWAIL (Third-World Approaches to International Law) perspectives on refugee law.