An analysis of the principle of non-refoulement within the context of European migration crises

Abstract

Asylum in Europe has been an important topic for the last twenty years. The EU has made developments in making a common European asylum system and in each refugee situation States have to respect the principle of non-refoulement. The main objective of refugee law is to protect people who are in fear of being persecuted and the EU legal framework gives the state responsibility to protect these people who apply for refugee status and review their cases on an individual basis. The complexity and uniqueness of refugee law are that there are a lot of opinions on terms, laws, and decisions. The EU legislation that is drafted in English is interpreted in States national language that can give some words or terms softer meaning. The Directive 2011/95/EU is the main framework that states have to follow to determine the status of third-country nationals and it has to be done following the 1951 Geneva Convention and the principle of non-refoulement.