Boat People: Why are they a sovereignty issue?: Comparative study of Australia and USA
Authors
Figueiredo dos Santos, Amélia ; Lukácová, Markéta
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-07-30
Pages
95
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvorfor stater afviser både, der nærmer sig deres kyster, og hvorfor dette opfattes som et spørgsmål om suverænitet. Vi bruger betegnelsen “Boat People” om asylansøgere og flygtninge, der ankommer ad søvejen, og vi afgrænser os fra debatten om økonomiske migranter. Begrebet har en historie, blandt andet om vietnamesiske flygtninge og andre, der blev sat i land i kyststater, men vores interesse er især drevet af de stigende antalsmæssige ankomster og af, at emnet ofte er blevet rammesat i medicinske termer i den offentlige debat. Vi peger på, at disse mennesker er særligt udsatte for urimelig behandling, fordi deres rettigheder er svære at håndhæve til søs, og fordi mediernes dækning ofte giver et ufuldstændigt billede af, hvad der faktisk sker om bord. Specialet kombinerer et globalt overblik med dybdegående casestudier af USA og Australien. Vi analyserer deres politikker i lyset af et teoretisk udgangspunkt og relevante internationale traktater, som er uadskillelige fra problemets kompleksitet. Vores nøglebegreb er statslig suverænitet—staters ret til at kontrollere grænser og træffe sikkerhedspolitiske beslutninger. Vi viser, at suverænitet er et stærkt redskab til sekuritiseringsprocesser og til at forfølge staters egeninteresser. Vi advarer om, at de aktuelle tendenser kan få bekymrende konsekvenser for fremtidig behandling af Boat People—asylansøgere og flygtninge—og at det internationale samfund må handle for at forhindre en udhuling af menneskelig værdighed og hårdt tilkæmpede rettigheder.
This thesis examines why states turn away boats approaching their shores and why this is treated as a question of sovereignty. We use the term “Boat People” to refer to asylum seekers and refugees arriving by sea, and we set aside debates about economic migrants. The term has historical roots, including Vietnamese refugees and others disembarked in coastal states, but our focus is driven by rising numbers of sea arrivals and by the way the topic has often been framed in medical terms in public debate. We argue that these people face a high risk of unfair treatment because their rights are difficult to enforce at sea and because media coverage often gives an incomplete picture of what happens on board. The thesis combines a global overview with in-depth case studies of the United States and Australia. We analyze their policies alongside a theoretical framework and relevant international treaties, which are integral to the issue’s complexity. Our key concept is state sovereignty—the authority to control borders and make security decisions. We show that sovereignty is a powerful tool for securitization and for advancing states’ self-interest. We warn that current trends may have troubling implications for the future treatment of Boat People—asylum seekers and refugees—and that action by the international community is needed to prevent the erosion of human dignity and hard-won rights.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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