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Refugees and Migrants in Law and Policy pp 111–123Cite as

Who Can Claim Protection as a Refugee? A Sociological Critique of the Distinction Between Refugees and Migrants

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Abstract

Public and political debates assume that refugees should be granted access and protection by states, which respect the concept of human rights. These debates presume a clear distinction between refugees and other groups of migrants. However, migration research has shown that the political and legal category of refugee works with restrictive and highly problematic assumptions about the legitimate causes and reasons of flight. Based on a case study about Roma, who migrated from the Balkans to Germany, it will be demonstrated that this leads to a refusal of protection and exposes Roma to poverty and ongoing discrimination. Against this background, it will be argued that the dominant interpretation of the concept of “refugee” has to be revised toward a broader understanding.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For the year 2015, for example, the UNHCR reports a funding gap of 49% in regard to its needs (UNHCR 2015, p. 20). This paper will not discuss the various means of states to inhibit the immigration of migrants through border security and international agreements. For the situation in Europe, see http://bordermonitoring.eu/.

  2. 2.

    The most important steps were the inclusion of the right to asylum in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the adoption of the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees from 1951 as well as the additional protocol to the Geneva Convention from 1967.

  3. 3.

    Further down, it will be explained in detail that especially Roma are affected by this regulation, whose situation, however, is characterized by a cumulative discrimination that would allow for a legal recognition as refugees.

  4. 4.

    Regarding this observation’s political implications, see Crépeau (2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sociology Department, University of Education, Freiburg, Germany

    Albert Scherr

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  1. Albert Scherr
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Correspondence to Albert Scherr .

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  1. University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Helmut Kury

  2. Vienna Liaison Office, Academic Council on the United Nations System, Wien, Austria

    Sławomir Redo

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Scherr, A. (2018). Who Can Claim Protection as a Refugee? A Sociological Critique of the Distinction Between Refugees and Migrants. In: Kury, H., Redo, S. (eds) Refugees and Migrants in Law and Policy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72159-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72159-0_4

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