The Refugee-Security Dilemma in Europe

Focusing on two of the institutions involved in the range of European activities on conflict prevention and displacement in the wake of the Yugoslav crisis, this article seeks to address the complex interplay of refugee protection and security enhancing strategies. The conclusion to an analysis of t...

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Main Author: Joanne van Selm-Thorburn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: York University Libraries 1997-12-01
Series:Refuge
Online Access:https://refuge.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/refuge/article/view/21945
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author Joanne van Selm-Thorburn
author_facet Joanne van Selm-Thorburn
author_sort Joanne van Selm-Thorburn
collection DOAJ
description Focusing on two of the institutions involved in the range of European activities on conflict prevention and displacement in the wake of the Yugoslav crisis, this article seeks to address the complex interplay of refugee protection and security enhancing strategies. The conclusion to an analysis of the mandates and expectations placed upon the OSCE's High Commissioner on National Minorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is that the latter is at risk of abrogating its responsibilities towards refugees and potentially misinterpreting the motives of other (actual conflict prevention) organs in the international security arena and their impact (or not) on displacement. The article places this institutional and conceptual dilemma of refugee protection and security in the context of International Relations theories, and stands squarely against the view that refugees are themselves a threat to west European security.
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spelling doaj.art-628e3907c4cd404ebfd609b42426c8132022-12-21T20:46:48ZengYork University LibrariesRefuge0229-51131920-73361997-12-0116610.25071/1920-7336.21945The Refugee-Security Dilemma in EuropeJoanne van Selm-ThorburnFocusing on two of the institutions involved in the range of European activities on conflict prevention and displacement in the wake of the Yugoslav crisis, this article seeks to address the complex interplay of refugee protection and security enhancing strategies. The conclusion to an analysis of the mandates and expectations placed upon the OSCE's High Commissioner on National Minorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is that the latter is at risk of abrogating its responsibilities towards refugees and potentially misinterpreting the motives of other (actual conflict prevention) organs in the international security arena and their impact (or not) on displacement. The article places this institutional and conceptual dilemma of refugee protection and security in the context of International Relations theories, and stands squarely against the view that refugees are themselves a threat to west European security.https://refuge.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/refuge/article/view/21945
spellingShingle Joanne van Selm-Thorburn
The Refugee-Security Dilemma in Europe
Refuge
title The Refugee-Security Dilemma in Europe
title_full The Refugee-Security Dilemma in Europe
title_fullStr The Refugee-Security Dilemma in Europe
title_full_unstemmed The Refugee-Security Dilemma in Europe
title_short The Refugee-Security Dilemma in Europe
title_sort refugee security dilemma in europe
url https://refuge.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/refuge/article/view/21945
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AT joannevanselmthorburn refugeesecuritydilemmaineurope