Module Announcements

Hello everyone,

It was lovely meeting you all today!

The PowerPoint slides are now uploaded onto the QMplus page under Week 1.

Week 2 Readings and Questions

In week 2 and 3 we will be dissecting the components of the refugee definition, contained in the 1951 Refugee Convention and amended by the 1967 Protocol. The first part of this lesson will focus on the meaning of ‘outside the country of his nationality’, ‘persecution’, ‘protection’, and ‘well-founded fear’. The required reading from Guy Goowin-Gill and Jane McAdam is 47 pages long. For further reading on each element, the relevant chapters from Hathaway and Foster are recommended under the additional resources. As you go through the readings, make sure to consider the following questions which will be discussed:

1. Is the refugee definition a fixed and immovable legal term?
2. Why do refugees need to be ‘outside’ their country of origin to qualify under the 1951 Convention?
3. What is the significance of requiring that ‘fear’ be ‘well-founded’ in order for an applicant to qualify as a refugee?
4. Do subjective factors play a role in the determination of refugee status? If so, to which extent? Does this create potential for bias?
5. Critically consider how non-state actors offering ‘effective’ protection may have gendered implications?

Consolidation Activity

The consolidation activity for next week will be to individually prepare either a Case Note based on the sample asylum interview, or draft interview questions based on a Case Description. The Case Note should be a maximum 2 pages and the interview questions a minimum of 3 pages (questions should be short and concise). To avoid making this announcement too long, the instructions for each can be found on the QMplus page. The documents do not need to be submitted beforehand. You will exchange these documents during the seminar and I will ask students to share as an example. When preparing the activity, focus on the four aspects of the definition for this week and we will return in week 3 to the specific grounds for which a person may be persecuted. The task you should complete is assigned below:

Case Note

Interview Questions

As an additional optional task, you may find the (New window) following podcast interesting ahead of our further discussion on the role of AI in the asylum decision-making process.

See you next week!

Ellen