Where is the law?

1. Where is the law? Refugee protection in South East Asia Michael Timmins

2. Persons of Concern • Asia: • 3,607,200

3. 1951 CRSR and/or 1967 Protocol

4. South East Asia • Few Signatories (Philippines, Cambodia) • Major camp populations • Large numbers of unregistered refugees

5. South East Asia • No legal status • Forcible return back to persecution (refoulement) • Arbitrary and prolonged detention • Lack of access to healthcare, education, and livelihood • Host country exploitation

6. Thailand context • Camps • Urban refugees

7. UNHCR Statute • Mandate of protection • Direct operational assistance

8. “Yet, the main responsibility for safeguarding the rights of refugees lies with states, not least because of the fundamental responsibility of states to guarantee the human rights of everyone (including non-citizens) subject to their jurisdiction and within their territory.” Turk, V. & Eyster, E., Strengthening UNHCR’s System of Accountability (2010)

9. Asylum Claims in 2011: • 876,100

10. South Africa: • 107,000 • USA: • 76,000 • France: • 52,100

11. UNHCR: • 98,800

12. UNHCR Refugee Status Determination (RSD): • Core protection mechanism • Where states are unable or unwilling to conduct RSD

13. The job • To make the right decision under the Convention. • Objectively, on the facts found, is there a well-founded fear of being persecuted for a Convention reason? • Easy.

14. The Job • Credibility assessment • Country of origin information • Legal assessment

15. VCLT • Legal assessment: • Treaty interpretation: Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

16. “[A decision-maker] must search, untrammelled by notions of its national legal culture, for the true autonomous and international meaning of the treaty.” R. v. SSHD, ex parte Adan and Aitseguer[2001] 2 WLR 143 (U.K.H.L., Dec. 19, 2000)

17. UNHCR RSD “The effectiveness of mandate RSD as a protection function depends upon the fairness and integrity of UNHCR RSD procedures and the quality of UNHCR RSD decisions.” Unit 1-1, UNHCR, Procedural Standards for Refugee Status Determination Under UNHCR's Mandate (2003)

18. UNHCR RSD • Michael Alexander (1999): • Publication of substantive criteria applied by UNHCR • Provision of information to asylum seekers • Availability and access to independent legal advice and assistance for asylum seekers • Allowing advisors or representatives to be present at interviews

19. UNHCR RSD • Access to information on the asylum seeker’s file, and all information used in making a decision • Reasons for rejection • Right of appeal • Requirement of ‘new information’ for appeals

20. UNHCR RSD • Consistent violations of natural justice • Lack of access to counsel • No accountability mechanism • Delays • Minute protection space

21. Global Administrative Law: “…the operation of existing or possible principles, procedural rules and reviewing and other mechanisms relating to accountability, participation, and assurance of legality in global governance.” Kingsbury, B., Krisch, N., & Stewart, R., The Emergence of Global Administrative Law (2005)

22. RSD staff • Not legally trained • Lack of experience • Lack of sufficient support • Credibility decision-making • Compassion fatigue

23. Where to from here? • Revision of the 2003 Procedural Standards: • View applicants as rights holders, not beneficiaries • Bring UNHCR RSD staff into the international judicial conversation

24. Where to from here? • State responsibility • Strategic litigation: • CAT • ICCPR • CRC

25. RCF • Regional Cooperation Framework • Externalising border control • Exporting bad policies

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