CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Grushka, Lorie Rachael |
|---|---|
| Title | The UNHCR and its Role in the Debate on the Refoulement and Interception of Refugees on the High Seas |
| Summary | In May 2009, the issue of interdiction and refoulement of refugees on international waters was once again brought to light after a number of Libyan refugees were forcibly returned following a series Italian interception measures. These asylum seekers and refugees were returned to their Country of Origin, Libya, without the obligatory screening process required by International Law. Italy very clearly violated its international duty to respect the principle of non-refoulement by returning these refugees to a State with no asylum law or procedures. The question then remains, where was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the supposed refugee protection agency, while people were being sent back into a situation with potentially fatal risks? This thesis will examine the role of the UNHCR in the debate surrounded the refoulement and interception of refugees on the High Seas. Through the analysis of relevant legal instruments, past practices of the UNHCR and a deeper look at its inner-workings, I provide evidence that this organization is heavily weighed down by its financial, political, legal and organizational constraints, to the point where it is no longer able to move forward in its goals. Instead, it is caught at a crossroads between loyalty to its donors and loyalty to those who need it most. |
| Supervisor | Nagy, Boldizsar |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/grushka_lorie.pdf |
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