Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-343) and index.
Contents:
The catch-22 of asylum policy -- Never again? -- Origins and limits of remote control -- The dome over the golden door -- The North American moat -- Raising the drawbridge to Cuba -- Buffering North America -- Building Fortress Europe -- The Euro-moat -- Stopping the refugee boats -- Protecting access to sanctuary.
Summary:
"In Refuge beyond Reach, David Scott FitzGerald traces the origin and development of the practices deployed by governments to deter asylum seekers from the 1970s to the present. FitzGerald draws on official government documents, information obtained via WikiLeaks and FOIA requests from the CIA, and interviews with asylum seekers to systematically analyze the policies associated with the remote control of asylum seekers. He shows how the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia comply with the letter of law while violating the spirit of those laws through a range of remote control practices: the dome, the moat, the buffer, the cage, and the barbican. Remote control flourishes in secrecy behind the closed doors of consulates and airport terminals and in the anonymity of the seas and remote border regions. These policies may violate law, but Fitzgerald identifies some pressure points. Bilateral relationships, an autonomous judiciary enforcing rights, and oversight by transnational civil society watchdogs can temper the worst abuses"--Provided by publisher. Refuge beyond Reach shows how rich democracies deliberately and systematically shut down most legal paths to safety. Media pundits, politicians, and the public are often skeptical or ambivalent about granting asylum. They fear that asylum-seekers will impose economic and cultural costs and pose security threats to nationals. Consequently, governments of rich, democratic countries attempt to limit who can approach their borders, which often leads to refugees breaking immigration laws. In Refuge beyond Reach, David Scott FitzGerald traces how rich democracies have deliberately and systematically shut down most legal paths to safety. Drawing on official government documents, information obtained via WikiLeaks, and interviews with asylum seekers, he finds that for ninety-nine percent of refugees, the only way to find safety in one of the prosperous democracies of the Global North is to reach its territory and then ask for asylum. FitzGerald shows how the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia comply with the letter of law while violating the spirit of those laws through arrange of deterrence methods--first designed to keep out Jews fleeing the Nazis--that have now evolved into a pervasive global system of "remote control." While some of the most draconian remote control practices continue in secret, Fitzgerald identifies some pressure points and finds that a diffuse humanitarian obligation to help those in need is more difficult for governments to evade than the law alone. Refuge beyond Reach addresses one of the world's most pressing challenges--how to manage flows of refugees and other types of migrants--and helps to identify the conditions under which individuals can access the protection of their universal rights.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.