New perspectives on the move : an analysis of the modern international system of refugee protection

Abstract

The main motivation of this work is the concern with the current refugee crisis. It is driven by the belief that alternative and pragmatic solutions to refugees’ problem can be achieved. This thesis studies the historical development of the modern international system for refugee protection. Since the early beginnings it was permeated by political and economic interests, and centuries after the first measures for protection were taken, the reality remains the same: often states interests take over human lives. The biggest development on institutional and legal protection of individuals happened from the midtwentieth century on, a time when the world witnessed mass violations of human rights that led to the first refugee crisis in recent history. However, a robust framework addressing refuges and other forced displaced persons could only be set when international human rights law was created. This thesis analyses the structure of the modern system of refugee protection, focusing on the comportment of the international community towards these vulnerable individuals Acknowledging that the failure of the system led to the current crisis, this work targets the flaws in order to propose alternative solutions to improve refugees’ situation.