Immigration Law Commons^™

The Relationship Between Human Rights And Refugee Law: What Refugee Law Judges Can Contribute, James C. Hathaway

Book Chapters

In a document released during the summer of 1998, the Austrian Presidency of the European Union formally questioned the continuing value of the United Nations Refugee Convention, and called for the adoption of a new "instrument of speedy assistance in the framework of the political possibilities."

The Austrian proposal would deny most refugees arriving in Europe the legal right to be protected. For the majority, protection would instead become a matter of political discretion. The proposal erroneously asserts that only a small minority of contemporary asylum seekers is entitled to Convention refugee status, in consequence of which a "new approach" …