Refugee Law (K. Jastr*m)

This course will cover the international and US refugee law regime, tracing the development of the Refugee Convention and the US Refugee Act of 1980. We will discuss the role of key actors including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Congress, the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, and the federal courts. Students will become familiar with the refugee definition as interpreted in the US. We will study the relationship of refugee law to human rights law and administrative law, and will assess legal and institutional efforts to respond to the situation of displaced persons in need of protection who do not fit within the refugee definition. We will examine the challenges to refugee protection on both the international and domestic levels, focusing in particular on options for policymakers trying to meet international obligations to refugees while ensuring national security and addressing transnational crime. This course does not fulfill the writing requirement.

Exam Notes: TH/P