Challenges for defining refugees in current practice – a book launch for “The Refugee Definition in International Law”

This virtual panel discussion grapples with urgent new challenges in how we interpret the universal refugee definition in Article 1A(2) of the Refugee Convention. Key themes relate to the shifting understandings in national laws of the foundational concepts of ‘well-founded fear’, ‘persecution’ and scope of the Convention grounds (race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group and political opinion). These elements sit at the heart of contemporary legal debates about which people claiming asylum count as refugees.

Leading experts and scholars from different countries will discuss how the interpretation of these refugee law concepts is playing out in the national jurisdictions of the UK, USA and EU and what this means for defining refugees. Hugo Storey will preview the international law-based analyses of these elements presented in his new book on The Refugee Definition in International Law (Oxford University Press, 2023) and explore their potential for resolving these legal puzzles. Questions and comments will be welcomed from the audience.

The programme for the one-hour discussion panel will be as follows:

• Prof. David Cantor (RLI Director) – introduction and moderation
• Zoe Bantleman (Immigration Law Practitioners Association, UK) – how has the UK led the interpretation of ‘well-founded fear’ and how is this changing now?
• Prof. Lilian Tsourdi (Maastricht University, Netherlands) – how has Europe interpreted the scope of ‘persecution’ and what questions does this raise?
• Prof. Deborah Anker (Harvard University, USA) – why are the Convention grounds so important in refugee law in the USA and what interpretative challenges arise? 
• Dr Hugo Storey – how can the international law-based approach in “The Refugee Definition in International Law” shed light on solutions to these questions?

The Refugee Law Initiative (RLI) is delighted to host this book launch with Dr Hugo Storey, a Research Fellow at the RLI, recently retired judge of the Upper Tribunal, and founding member of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges.

The Refugee Definition in International Law is available from major booksellers or online at Oxford University Press. Attendees at the discussion panel will be provided with a code that can be used to obtain a discount when purchasing the book.

The panel is online, public and open to all. Prior registration is required.