Refuge beyond Reach
How Rich Democracies Repel Asylum Seekers
Published on 14. July 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
376 pages
978-0-19-764984-8 (ISBN)
Description
Refuge beyond Reach shows how rich democracies deliberately and systematically shut down most legal paths to safety.
Media pundits, politicians, and the public are often skeptical or ambivalent about granting asylum. They fear that asylum-seekers will impose economic and cultural costs and pose security threats to nationals. Consequently, governments of rich, democratic countries attempt to limit who can approach their borders, which often leads to refugees breaking immigration laws.
In Refuge beyond Reach, David Scott FitzGerald traces how rich democracies have deliberately and systematically shut down most legal paths to safety. Drawing on official government documents, information obtained via WikiLeaks, and interviews with asylum seekers, he finds that for ninety-nine percent of refugees, the only way to find safety in one of the prosperous democracies of the Global North is to reach its territory and then ask for asylum. FitzGerald shows how the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia comply with the letter of law while violating the spirit of those laws through a range of deterrence methods--first designed to keep out Jews fleeing the Nazis--that have now evolved into a pervasive global system of "remote control." While some of the most draconian remote control practices continue in secret, Fitzgerald identifies some pressure points and finds that a diffuse humanitarian obligation to help those in need is more difficult for governments to evade than the law alone.
Refuge beyond Reach addresses one of the world's most pressing challenges--how to manage flows of refugees and other types of migrants--and helps to identify the conditions under which individuals can access the protection of their universal rights.
Media pundits, politicians, and the public are often skeptical or ambivalent about granting asylum. They fear that asylum-seekers will impose economic and cultural costs and pose security threats to nationals. Consequently, governments of rich, democratic countries attempt to limit who can approach their borders, which often leads to refugees breaking immigration laws.
In Refuge beyond Reach, David Scott FitzGerald traces how rich democracies have deliberately and systematically shut down most legal paths to safety. Drawing on official government documents, information obtained via WikiLeaks, and interviews with asylum seekers, he finds that for ninety-nine percent of refugees, the only way to find safety in one of the prosperous democracies of the Global North is to reach its territory and then ask for asylum. FitzGerald shows how the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia comply with the letter of law while violating the spirit of those laws through a range of deterrence methods--first designed to keep out Jews fleeing the Nazis--that have now evolved into a pervasive global system of "remote control." While some of the most draconian remote control practices continue in secret, Fitzgerald identifies some pressure points and finds that a diffuse humanitarian obligation to help those in need is more difficult for governments to evade than the law alone.
Refuge beyond Reach addresses one of the world's most pressing challenges--how to manage flows of refugees and other types of migrants--and helps to identify the conditions under which individuals can access the protection of their universal rights.
Reviews / Votes
Written in an accessible style, Refuge beyond Reach makes an excellent introduction to the topic of refugee deterrence. * Kathryn Tomko Dennler , Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees * In Refuge beyond Reach FitzGerald documents how rich democracies deploy techniques of "remote control" to deliberately prevent refugees from reaching sanctuary. Meticulously researched and comprehensive in scope, the book traces how prosperous democracies of the global North-Australia, Canada, the EU, and the US-have deliberately and systematically violated the spirit of refugee protection laws by shutting down most legal paths for asylum seekers to claim asylum. Although these countries do not repatriate refugees, they have implemented a number of so-called remote control measures-including complex visa and air transportation policies, asylee caging on third-country territories, maritime interception policies-to keep out unwanted foreigners. Refuge beyond Reach is an invaluable and timely reference for all who are interested in protection of refugees. * Y. L. Espiritu, University of California San Diego, CHOICE * Refuge beyond Reach is a meticulously researched and fascinating unveiling of the current practice by countries to shirk and undermine international refugee protection. FitzGerald's passionate analysis, highlighting the Canadian, US, EU, and Australian models, dissects the harmful legal and policy foundations informing and influencing current global practice to restrict the right to seek asylum. An eye-opener and useful reference for scholars and practitioners alike * Charmain Mohamed, Head of Refugee and Migrant Rights, Amnesty International * For many European and North American nations, our asylum to refugees became part of our identity. But now, the richest, most peaceful, and well-organized societies are competing in a race to the bottom in becoming the least welcoming to people fleeing violence, war, and persecution. In Refuge beyond Reach, FitzGerald explains how and why the most powerful nations on Earth ended up betraying ancient signs of civilization and leaving the protection of refugees up to communities that have neither the resources nor the stability to protect the most vulnerable in their hour of greatest need. It is an important book for our time and age * Jan Egeland, Secretary General, Norwegian Refuge Council, former UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs * FitzGerald persuasively shows how states in the global North have developed comprehensive systems for shutting out asylum-seekers fleeing persecution and violence. Based on innovative conceptual work and detailed case studies, Refuge beyond Reach provides a powerful and disturbing account of the undermining of principles fundamental to the international refugee regime through the construction of an 'architecture of repulsion * T. Alexander Aleinikoff, Professor and Director of the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, The New School, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees (2010-15) *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
2 line drawings, 7 maps, 12 photographs
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
544 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-764984-8 (9780197649848)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
06/2019
Oxford University Press Inc
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E-Book
03/2019
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€9.99
Available for download
E-Book
03/2019
1st Edition
OUP eBook
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Available for download
Person
David Scott FitzGerald is Theodore E. Gildred Chair in US-Mexican Relations, Professor of Sociology, and Co-Director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at the University of California San Diego. His research analyzes policies regulating migration and asylum in countries of origin, transit, and destination. FitzGerald's books include Culling the Masses: The Democratic Origins of Racist Immigration Policy in the Americas, which won the American Sociological Association's Distinguished Scholarly Book Award, and A Nation of Emigrants: How Mexico Manages its Migration.
Content
List of Illustrations
List of Acronyms
Chapter 1. The Catch-22 of Asylum Policy
Chapter 2. Never Again?
Chapter 3. Origins and Limits of Remote Control
Chapter 4. The Dome over the Golden Door
Chapter 5. The North American Moat
Chapter 6. Raising the Drawbridge
Chapter 7. Buffering North America
Chapter 8. Building Fortress Europe
Chapter 9. The Euro-Moat
Chapter 10. Stopping the Refugee Boats
Chapter 11. Protecting Access to Sanctuary
Notes
References
Index
List of Acronyms
Chapter 1. The Catch-22 of Asylum Policy
Chapter 2. Never Again?
Chapter 3. Origins and Limits of Remote Control
Chapter 4. The Dome over the Golden Door
Chapter 5. The North American Moat
Chapter 6. Raising the Drawbridge
Chapter 7. Buffering North America
Chapter 8. Building Fortress Europe
Chapter 9. The Euro-Moat
Chapter 10. Stopping the Refugee Boats
Chapter 11. Protecting Access to Sanctuary
Notes
References
Index