Refugee Rights in International Law

1. Refugee Rights inInternational Law

2. Introduction • Refugees a World-Wide Challenge • International Law Provides Minimum Human Rights for Refugees • Key Definitions: • Refugee • Asylum Seeker • Internally Displaced Person • Migrant • Stateless Person • Returnees

3. International Refugee Law • 1951 Refugee Convention • establishes rights & standards • 1967 Protocol • removes Convention’s time & place restrictions • incorporates Conventions rights & standards • Other International Human Rights Agreements • International Humanitarian Law Agreements • Regional Agreements • Non-Binding Documents

4. Regional Refugee Law • Africa • African Charter on Human & People’s Rights • AU Convention Governing Refugee Problems • African Charter on Child Rights & Welfare • Europe • Convention for Protection of Human Rights • Council of Europe Agreements • The Americas • Human Rights Agreements • Refugee Agreements

5. Refugee Law in the U.S. • Party to 1967 Refugee Convention Protocol • 2005 Act Tightened Asylum Due to Terrorism • Asylum Criteria: • refugee, of special humanitarian concern, and not barred by certain actions • burden of proof on applicant on refugee status • past vs. future persecution • internal relocation must be unreasonable

6. Other U.S. Immigration Options • Withholding of Removal • Deferral of Removal • Temporary Protected Status • Deferred Enforced Departure

7. Concerns With Asylum System • Security • Fraud • Overburdening Host Government

8. Key Civil Rights • Treatment Without Discrimination • Survival Rights • Due Process • Freedom of Movement • Education • Work • Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion • Freedom of Association • Right of Non-Refoulement

9. Cessation of Refugee Status • Voluntary Return • New Nationality • Circumstances Causing Refugee Status Cease