The Refugee Convention: A Critical Analysis

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Name
Professor
Institution
Course
Introduction
The convention of United Nations in 1951 in relation to the status of refugees led to the
emergence of a system aimed for the provision of protecting people who are at the risk of being
persecuted in their home countries. Some countries have been willing to risk turning such
persons away. It is however so unfortunate that today, many countries can sign up to convention.
The wave of boat people in the recent past has paved way for an increased public demonstration
on the methods that are supposed to be applied in dealing with the illegal immigrants who are
constrained by our obligations under the convention.

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The outcomes of convention for refugees on the humanitarian program were apparent
since 2000 when the immigration minister in the USA revealed that there was an action being
taken concerning the processing of offshore humanitarian visas so as to suspend them following
the indication that approximately 13,000 program allocations could be picked by the onshore
seekers of asylum. There are deterrent measures that have been controversial concerning the
departure from the practice and ethos that are put in place. Australia has lately featured itself as
one of the most generous countries around the globe as far as the reception of refugees is
concerned. The country has a highly developed settlement backing schemes and programs whose
major objective is having persons who can contribute to mainstream life with immediate effect.
Most parliamentarians are aware of the strengths of public feeling which is directed
against the ongoing boat arrivals. The recent asylums are thought to be either undeserving users
of the scheme who in most cases do not qualify for areas under the immigration program criteria
or even refugees who are seeking asylum through exercising their rights under the international
law that allows them to seek the asylum. The advocates for the refugees and commentators have
been blaming the government and journalists for the outpour of the public hostility and even
gave examples of labels given to the immigrants as ‘illegals’. The parliamentarians have
suggested that the refugee advocates and non-governmental organizations’ are misinformed and
do not have a touch or say in public opinion.
A portion of commentators have however argued that, the increase in the boat people or
entry into the country has been good since the immigrants provide an opportunity for the country
to display its generosity and maturity in the universal club of the seasonal asylum seekers in the
receiving states, which have been adapting with greater number of asylum seekers for a very
long period of time. The asylum seekers together with the reunion of their families make up the

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huge number of immigrant groups in the western European nations in the recent past. The
immigrants who are asylum driven have high ranks above the concerns of the voters and there is
a widespread sentiment. Recent research shows that anti-immigration parties get up to 30%
support from the voters.
The advocates for the refugees argue that the government is supposed to educate the
refuges and the public about the signatories that the convention has and also about the situations
of human rights in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Education of the immigrants might make them
more familiar with the obligations and to the submission to the government of Australia through
international law. However, there are arguments that the more these immigrants get educated, the
more they end up with a conclusion that the convention based asylum structure are neither
influential nor rational in the guidelines for the provision of guidelines for the priorities of the
refugees in Australia. They are also likely to conclude that there are no priorities in the
alleviation of the plight of the people who are displaced by conflicts that happen within
Afghanistan and Iraq.
The UNCHR has championed the lead to international action on safeguarding the rights
of the refugees. This was established in 1950 after the resolution of the UN general assembly in
1949. The latter was originally founded on the assumption that the post war asylum seekers’
situation would be solved with immediate effect. Today, it is on a five year mandate.
The UNCHR mandates asylum seekers in terms that are identical to convention that is
expanded by the protocol. The mandate describes it crucial function as the universal protection
that tries to make sure that asylum seekers return to their country voluntarily where they had fled
in fear of persecution. Almost five decades after its adoption of the refugee convention, the