Module Announcements

Hello everyone,

In week 3 we are continuing with the Convention grounds for refugee status and nexus criteria. We will critically evaluate the evolving interpretations and use of these terms. The required reading from Hathaway and Foster in The Law of Refugee Status is 71 pages long, from subsection 5.4 to 5.9. If you are interested in a more critical text on women and the refugee definition, I would highly recommend the Crawley text. If you are also interested in protection on the grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, the Danisi, et al. text provides a great practical analysis of asylum determination in the European context. While you are reading, make sure to consider the following questions:

1. Should women, children and LGBTIQ+ applicants be considered as a 'particular social group'?
2. Is there potential overlap between 'political opinion' and 'particular social group'?
3. How does 'particular social group' risk becoming circular?
4. Do arguments of cultural relativism have a place within the refugee definition? 
5. How might ‘particular social group’ risk perpetuating stereotypes or narrow identity categories? What are the potential consequences?

Consolidation Activity

UNHCR will be revising their Guidelines on ‘particular social group’ on account of recent developments and increasingly varied interpretations amongst Contracting Parties to the 1951 Convention. Your group has been invited by UNHCR as part of expert consultations to represent your particular jurisdiction. You should prepare a presentation on your country’s interpretation—confirmed by the allocated case—addressing the differences and similarities with the existing 2002 UNHCR Guidelines. The aim is to provide UNHCR with guidance on why your jurisdiction’s interpretation is the best approach.

Groups must prepare a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation briefly summarising the following:

• The main facts of the case;
• The reasoning of the court, explaining the approach followed to define ‘particular social group’;
• The consequences for the claimant(s) of the definition adopted;
• The broader implications and whether the final decision fits with the UNHCR guidelines.

Presentations will take place at the expert meeting held on Monday, 14 October. Presentations will be strictly timed. Once your slides are ready, please, send them by email to e.allde@qmul.ac.uk by 12:00 PM (noon) on 13 October. It would be great if the person listed first could initiate an email to the remainder of their group for further discussion.

The expert teams are as follow:

Canada (Attorney General) v. Ward [1993] 2 S.C.R. 689, 30 June 1993 (Supreme Court of Canada)

• Alejandra Biaggi, a.biaggi@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Abhishek Dhol, a.dhol@hss21.qmul.ac.uk
• Vera Teles, v.ferreiradafonsecagalvaoteles@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Ӧzün Türkmen, o.s.turkmen@stu22.qmul.ac.uk
• Aachal Parmar, a.d.parmar@hss24.qmul.ac.uk

Islam v. Secretary of State for the Home Department; R v. Immigration Appeal Tribunal and Another, ex parte Shah [1999] UKHL 20, 25 March 1999 (UK House of Lords)

• Zainab Khursheed, z.khursheed@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Agrani Belose, a.belose@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Rehaan Singh, r.singh@hss22.qmul.ac.uk
• Usman Gondal, u.gondal@hss24.qmul.ac.uk

A and Another v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and Another, [1997], Australia: High Court, 24 February 1997

• Lucas De Aquino, l.s.v.deaquino@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Amine Beyza Zenbilci, a.zenbilci@hss23.qmul.ac.uk
• Ysabelle Hall, y.h.hall@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Maria Hayat, m.hayat@hss19.qmul.ac.uk
• Noor Hanna, n.hanna@hss24.qmul.ac.uk

Matter of KASINGA, 21 I&N Dec. 257 (BIA 1996)

• Mihoko Inoue,  m.inoue@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Michelle Anne Lazaran, m.lazaran@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Thenyan Khalid Althenyan, t.k.a.althenyan@hss23.qmul.ac.uk
• Zhiyu Ll, zhiyu.li@hss23.qmul.ac.uk

CJEU – C-199/12, C-200/12 and C-201/12, Minister voor Immigratie en Asiel v X, Y and Z

• Lilly Potter, l.potter@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Melisa Nujin Demirtas, m.demirtas@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Pornsuda Jiamphatthanatrakul, p.jiamphatthanatrakul@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Shakuruzzaman Khan, s.khan@hss24.qmul.ac.uk
• Manasi Adeshra, m.adeshra@hss24.qmul.ac.uk

Finally, please submit your essay topic / question to my email (e.allde@qmul.ac.uk) by Friday 11 October. This does not need to be more than a sentence or two, see the sample essay topics on the QMplus page for guidance.

Have a lovely week!
Ellen