Are countries obligated to accept refugees?

We not only have a legal obligation to honor our commitments,

we have a moral obligation to provide the coverage

we promised to provide to these people.

Bob Ney

Once a person asked a question: ''why the European countries are asked to help the refugees..they are not obliged to help them...they only help them out of their civilized nature..isnt it?" 

To answer this question, we have to look up for key words, such as:

-          Refugee.

-          Obliged or Obligation to help.

-          Civilized nature

Go back to history, after World War II, when hundreds of thousands of refugees were displaced across Europe (and World itsef), The 1951 Refugee Convention (Convention and Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees) was created.

So, according to definitions of this Convention, refugee is: “A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it”.

Or simply

“a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a foreign country,as in time of political upheaval, war, etc”

Convention's mission and aim: "Since, by definition, refugees are not protected by their own governments, the international community (Countries, who have signed Convention) steps in to ensure they are safe and protected," and "refugees deserve, as a minimum, the same standards of treatment enjoyed by other foreign nationals in a given country and, in many cases, the same treatment as nationals,"

Rights granted by this Convention:

1. The right to not be sent back home into harm's way, except under extreme circumstances. 

2. The right to not be punished for illegally entering countries that signed on to the Convention and Protocol

3. The right to housing

4. The right to work

5. Access to education

6. Access to public assistance

7. Access to courts

8. The right to get identification and travel documents.

So, I think, this information is enough to answer question, if European countries are obligated to help refugees. 

Simple answer: Yes, but obligatory only for those who have signed Convention. To see the list of countries, who have signed Convention, click here.

And also, talking about 2nd part of question: "their civilizated nature",look for Gulf countries. 

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates didn't sign Convention and Protocol, so technically they are not obligated to accept refugees. And they didn't, which is their right. They didn't want to show "Civilized Nature" due to some reasons.

This is example of Civilized Nature, and ask yourself, would European countries help if they didn't sign Convention and Protocol, or they would claim that it is their right (not to accept refugees)? 

*** all info used in this blog taken from: "Are countries obligated to take in refugees? In some cases, yes"  ***

 

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Comments

  • thanks Abdou, now I see what you mean, and I am agree with you.

  • your blog is showing facts and they are truthfull info about whats going on so i agreed with you concerning this blog ;... BUT I AM SAYING HAT EVERY FACT THAT YOUR BLOG IS REVIELING WAS MENT TO HAPPEN it was actually a setup afraud and a studied plan by other peaples who dont love Mohamed and muslims ;;; they wanted to seem the right human on earth ;;;;by the way in my previous long comment below i intended to use the proun YOU ..... well i wasnt adressing to you actually i was adressing the peaples who made the first plan of destroying islam and his followers ;;;;.... MAY HOPELY ONE OF THE HIDING FACES MAY READ IT AND KNOW THAT SOMEONE KNOWS ABOUT THIER DEMAN PLANS

  • Abdou, just use easy words, and answer: do you agree with me in this blog or not? or what you think about it?

  • I wish i could be more clear

    something in my heart my english is not so perfect i wanted to deliever a concept i still believe its true in this new eara

  • Abdou, what are you talking about?

  • you choose a person you locat his place and u start doing what ...you gona take his food his dress his water his freedome and his safety and his cerinity in his own country ...there fore he has only one logical thing to do...he must move from that warzone into your country ...YOU know you already have food water money and safety ....what you would do that in order to seem more human ??...no ...because refugee when they come to you they will integrate no matter how and slowly become diffrent peaple in life style way of dressing eatting habbit and drinking especialy they lose a bit thier religion believes and that exactly what you were planing from the begining 

    if we take it from an other view and from a diffrent angle ...why would you do that !!ha!! a lot of blood a lot of death coming a lot of loses!! just because you want those peaple lose thioer religions ...why !! it just a religion it is a simple and personal believe no harm for you ...

    ill tell you why ...because you hate Islam you hate Mohamed so much you hate every know believed in islam and mohamed and you gona do your best to kill every one of them or otherwise push them slowly to forget islam and Mohamed and imbrace you the human and the helper and the merci man ....cant you see that you are already rebeled on Allah will and that's your biggest mistake ....plz let them live and follow thier islam they believe its the right and its the final and its the only accepted religion ...or just put ur feet on earth and follow them following Mohamed ...FOLLOWING all Allah the only creater of every thing with no partner and with no one else ......

  • Thank you Lady Noor and Jackie-Chan .... oops sorry Onee-chan,

    but Lady Noor, dont compliment me so much, cuz I might start to think I am really good writer:D

  • No wonder that those wealthy countries didn't do anything for the refugees. So, they didn't show their Civilized Nature. In fact, they are the nearest countries to the refugees....

    Thanks for giving such an important information. I've just known there is something like this. and for...

    "Would European countries help if they didn't sign Convention and Protocol, or they would claim that it is their right (not to accept refugees)?" The leader (president/king) could answer. IF "they" had humanity sense, they would keep helping.

  • Estanis, and Ena, thanks for you, specially as citizens of european countries, I appreaciate and value your attention.

  • I missed your well crafted blogs Starnger. Great job! Let's just try not to mess it up with the replies lol...

    Thanks for raising such a delicate topic not to forget these human beings.
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