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Begin New Search Topic Asylum Seekers Political Geography Europe

1. La activación de la directiva de protección temporal ante la invasión rusa de Ucrania como instrumento de diplomacia migratoria

Author:
José Díaz Lafuente
Publication Date:
01-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
La Directiva de Protección Temporal constituye uno de los instrumentos jurídicos más controvertidos y debatidos del acervo comunitario. A pesar de los múltiples desplazamientos masivos vividos en Europa en las últimas dos décadas, la Directiva es activada por primera vez el 4 de marzo de 2022, tras la invasión rusa de Ucrania, representado un acuerdo histórico y un hito de solidaridad que ya ha servido para ofrecer protección temporal a más de 4,15 millones de ciudadanos extracomunitarios. El principal objetivo del presente artículo radica en el estudio de la activación de este mecanismo en el marco de la diplomacia migratoria de la UE, analizando los motivos que han podido conducir a su inmediata implementación y los elementos de la actual gestión de situaciones de afluencia masiva en la política migratoria, de asilo y fronteriza de la Unión.
Topic:
European Union, Russia-Ukraine War, Asylum Seekers, and Temporary Protection Visas
Political Geography:
Europe and Ukraine

2. The Interdiction of Asylum Seekers at Sea: Law and (mal)practice in Europe and Australia

Author:
Violeta Moreno-Lax
Publication Date:
05-2017
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW Sydney
Abstract:
The phenomenon of irregular migration by sea or ‘boat migration’ is not new, 1 but it has drawn significant attention since the Tampa affair in Australia in 2001 and during the so-called ‘migration/refugee crisis’ in the Mediterranean in 2015–2016. Both regions have replaced proactive search and rescue (SAR) efforts with militarised border security missions, which has had detrimental effects on those seeking asylum. This policy brief explores this evolution and critically evaluates policies and practices of deterrence at sea against the standards set by international law. It considers:  State powers of interception, as regulated by the law of the sea for the different maritime zones, in particular as they relate to flagless (migrant) vessels;  The duties of SAR for flag and coastal States, clarifying notions of ‘distress’, ‘rescue’, ‘disembarkation’ and ‘place of safety’ as applied to asylum seekers;  The interaction of State obligations under the law of the sea with their obligations under human rights and refugee law, especially with respect to the principle of non-refoulement, non-arbitrary detention and due process guarantees, as well as issues of extraterritoriality and ‘effective control’. The policy brief concludes that current strategies in Europe and Australia are not viable in the long term. It recommends that both regions abandon practices of containment without protection, engage in genuine SAR actions, and embrace a comprehensive approach to ‘boat migration’ that conforms with States’ international legal obligations and the rights of refugees and migrants.
Topic:
International Law, Migration, Refugee Crisis, Deterrence, Protection, and Asylum Seekers
Political Geography:
Europe and Australia

3. Extraterritorial processing in Europe: Is ‘regional protection’ the answer, and if not, what is?

Author:
Jane McAdam
Publication Date:
05-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW Sydney
Abstract:
The loss of over 700 lives in a single incident in the Mediterranean on 18 April 2015, following a six-day period in which over 10,000 migrants were rescued, has sparked renewed debates about whether extraterritorial processing – sometimes called ‘offshore processing’ – might save lives at sea.1 Despite a plethora of European proposals over the past 20 years, none has ever been sufficiently fleshed out to receive adequate support to be implemented. Legal and practical concerns have proven insurmountable. There is also recognition that while regional or other external processing arrangements may provide a useful complement to other protection mechanisms, they are not a solution in and of themselves. This paper examines European proposals for extraterritorial processing and the establishment of regional protection centres by considering: • their policy rationale; • their history; • legal concerns; • comparisons with Australia and the United States; • the role of host States; • models for regional processing; and • complementary strategies that can provide a protection ‘toolkit’. Cooperative regional approaches can help States to develop more coherent, systematic and predictable responses to refugee movements. But they must acknowledge the concerns and interests of all participating States. And timely solutions for refugees will be central to their success or failure. The paper concludes by offering a flexible range of tools that can help States to provide protection in a safer, and more regular, manner. Unless States create measures to allow people to seek protection lawfully, dangerous journeys will continue.
Topic:
Refugees, Protection, Asylum Seekers, and Extraterritorial Processing
Political Geography:
Europe, Australia, United States of America, and Mediterranean