Asylum-Seeker, Illegal or Refugee? Policy Frames that Drive the Global Non-Entree Regime

The number of people displaced due to war and persecution is currently at its highest recorded levels. Despite this, wealthy states in the global North continue to pass policies restricting access to asylum, while at the same time claim to open their doors to refugees through resettlement schemes. This article addresses a common question held by the public, advocates, academics and policy-makers regarding the distinction between who is a refugee and who is an asylum-seeker, and what policies protect or exclude these populations. Drawing from historical and contemporary definitions in international law, national policies and political discourse, this article will argue these terms have been obscured by states to legitimize exclusionary policies to benefit ideology and sovereignty over the protection of human rights. This article will hopefully lend a new perspective towards the urgency to reframe refugee narratives.

Read the full journal article at SAIS Europe Journal of Global Affairs

Written by Kelsey LeBrun Keswani