International Refugee Law and Socio-Economic Rights: Refuge from Deprivation

Michelle Foster0521870178, 052113336X, 9780521133364, 9780521870177

A range of emerging refugee claims is beginning to challenge the boundaries of the Refugee Convention regime and question traditional distinctions between ‘economic migrants’ and ‘political refugees’. This book identifies the conceptual and analytical challenges presented by claims based on socio-economic deprivation, and undertakes an assessment of the extent to which these challenges may be overcome by a creative interpretation of the Refugee Convention, consistent with correct principles of international treaty interpretation. The central argument is that, notwithstanding the dichotomy between ‘economic migrants’ and ‘political refugees’, the Refugee Convention is capable of accommodating a more complex analysis which recognizes that many claims based on socio-economic deprivation are indeed properly considered within the purview of the Refugee Convention. This, the first book to consider these issues, will be of great interest to refugee law scholars, advocates, decision-makers and non-governmental organizations.

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Half-title……Page 3
Seres-title……Page 4
Title……Page 5
Copyright……Page 6
Contents……Page 7
Acknowledgements……Page 11
Table of cases……Page 15
Table of treaties and other international instruments……Page 45
List of Abbreviations……Page 47
1 Introduction……Page 51
Background……Page 52
The key conceptual challenge: economic migrants versus refugees……Page 55
Challenging the simplistic dichotomy……Page 61
Organization and methodology of analysis……Page 71
PART ONE: THE DEVELOPING HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK……Page 77
The need for a universal and objective standard……Page 86
Human rights as the standard: object and purpose……Page 90
The human rights approach confirmed by context……Page 99
Other rules of international law: promoting coherence……Page 101
Customary international law……Page 103
Treaties……Page 104
Soft law……Page 120
Concerns about the legitimacy of the human rights approach……Page 125
Concerns about the workability of the human rights approach……Page 135
Conclusion……Page 136
Introduction……Page 137
Socio-economic rights and persecution: an overview……Page 140
Conceptual approaches to socio-economic rights and persecution……Page 161
Carliers ‘Three Scales’: normative hierarchical approach……Page 162
Hathaway’s model: hierarchy of obligation……Page 163
Imposition of an erroneously high test……Page 173
The automatic requirement of accumulation……Page 182
Problems related to the hierarchical obligation model……Page 186
Progressive implementation as negating content of socio-economic rights……Page 187
Misunderstanding the nature of discrimination in socio-economic rights……Page 192
Inherent problems with a categorical approach……Page 197
Inherent difficulties with socio-economic claims……Page 201
Conclusion……Page 204
PART ONE: THE CURRENT APPROACH TO PERSECUTION IN LIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW……Page 206
The legitimacy of a normative hierarchy in human rights……Page 207
The merits of a categorical approach based on state obligation……Page 218
Immediate versus progressive realization……Page 220
Derogability……Page 225
The interdependence of human rights……Page 231
Conclusion on hierarchies and models in refugee law……Page 240
The core obligations approach: general considerations……Page 251
Right to education and persecution……Page 264
Right to health and persecution……Page 276
Conclusion……Page 285
Introduction……Page 286
When is persecution for a Convention reason? The particular challenge of socio-economic claims……Page 287
The desire for a ‘better life’: economic migrants versus political refugees……Page 288
Sole versus mixed motives: particular difficulties in economic claims……Page 297
Quantum of connection and economic claims……Page 304
The meaning of the nexus clause: is intention required?……Page 313
Intention of the persecutor……Page 314
Intention of the persecutor or of the home state……Page 318
The predicament approach……Page 320
Evidentiary issues: singling out versus group-based harm……Page 336
Conclusion……Page 339
Introduction……Page 341
Interpreting the social group ground: conceptual approaches……Page 342
Economic class……Page 354
Occupation……Page 363
Disabled and ill persons……Page 368
Women……Page 374
Children……Page 379
Conclusion……Page 389
7 Conclusions……Page 391
Articles and books……Page 406
Conference papers and speeches……Page 418
UN documents……Page 419
Websites (current as at 31 May 2006)……Page 424
Others……Page 426
Index……Page 429