The principle of non-refoulement: the legitimacy of refugee policies in Western countries

Abstract

In recent years, affected by the influx of refugees, some Western countries have suffered blows in the security, economic, and other fields and are faced with the dilemma of safeguarding national interests and fulfilling the principle of non-refoulement under international law. Western countries are broadly adopting the following three policies to restrict and control the entry of refugees into their territories: the policy of extraterritorial refoulement, the policy of interception at sea, and the policy of safe third countries. They are adopting several flexible measures to circumvent the application of the principle of non-refoulement, believing that they are not violating the principle of non-refoulement. However, the United Nations and human rights organizations are still skeptical of the abovementioned policies. This thesis will mainly discuss the legality of these behaviors and make some suggestions based on the full understanding and respect of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, which can deal with the refugee problem more humanely and provide feasible ideas for solving the refugee problem.