International Refugee Law and Socio-Economic Rights: Refuge from Deprivation (Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law, Series Number 51)

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, first published in 2007, 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. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Seres-title 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgements 11 Table of cases 15 Table of treaties and other international instruments 45 List of Abbreviations 47 1 Introduction 51 Background 52 The key conceptual challenge: economic migrants versus refugees 55 Challenging the simplistic dichotomy 61 Organization and methodology of analysis 71 2 A human rights framework for interpreting the Refugee Convention 77 PART ONE: THE DEVELOPING HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK 77 PART TWO: JUSTIFICATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK 86 The need for a universal and objective standard 86 Human rights as the standard: object and purpose 90 The human rights approach confirmed by context 99 Other rules of international law: promoting coherence 101 Customary international law 103 Treaties 104 Soft law 120 PART THREE: POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH 125 Concerns about the legitimacy of the human rights approach 125 Concerns about the workability of the human rights approach 135 Conclusion 136 3 Persecution and socio-economic deprivation in refugee law 137 Introduction 137 Socio-economic rights and persecution: an overview 140 Conceptual approaches to socio-economic rights and persecution 161 Carliers 'Three Scales': normative hierarchical approach 162 Hathaway's model: hierarchy of obligation 163 Problems and difficulties in the current approach 173 Problems related to a normative hierarchical approach 173 Imposition of an erroneously high test 173 The automatic requirement of accumulation 182 Problems related to the hierarchical obligation model 186 Progressive implementation as negating content of socio-economic rights 187 Misunderstanding the nature of discrimination in socio-economic rights 192 Inherent problems with a categorical approach 197 Inherent difficulties with socio-economic claims 201 Conclusion 204 4 Rethinking the conceptual approach to socio-economic claims 206 Introduction 206 PART ONE: THE CURRENT APPROACH TO PERSECUTION IN LIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW 206 The legitimacy of a normative hierarchy in human rights 207 The merits of a categorical approach based on state obligation 218 Immediate versus progressive realization 220 Derogability 225 The interdependence of human rights 231 Conclusion on hierarchies and models in refugee law 240 PART TWO: REVISITING VIOLATIONS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC RIGHTS AND PERSECUTION 251 The core obligations approach: general considerations 251 Right to education and persecution 264 Right to health and persecution 276 Conclusion 285 5 Economic deprivation as the reason for being persecuted 286 Introduction 286 When is persecution for a Convention reason? The particular challenge of socio-economic claims 287 The desire for a 'better life': economic migrants versus political refugees 288 The causal connection to a refugee convention ground 297 Sole versus mixed motives: particular difficulties in economic claims 297 Quantum of connection and economic claims 304 The meaning of the nexus clause: is intention required? 313 Intention of the persecutor 314 Intention of the persecutor or of the home state 318 The predicament approach 320 Evidentiary issues: singling out versus group-based harm 336 Conclusion 339 6 Economic disadvantage and the Refugee Convention grounds 341 Introduction 341 Interpreting the social group ground: conceptual approaches 342 Particular social groups 354 Economic class 354 Occupation 363 Disabled and ill persons 368 Women 374 Children 379 Conclusion 389 7 Conclusions 391 Bibliography 406 Articles and books 406 Conference papers and speeches 418 EU documents 419 UN documents 419 Websites (current as at 31 May 2006) 424 Others 426 Index 429 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 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, first published in 2007, 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."--Publisher's description "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 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."--BOOK JACKET. Michelle Foster assesses the ability of the Refugee Convention to encompass refugee claims based on the violation of socio-economic rights, arguing that despite the traditional dichotomy between 'economic migrants' and 'political refugees', the Refugee Convention can include many claims with a socio-economic element.