Situating the Global Compact on Refugees in Africa: Will it Make a Difference to the Lives of Refugees “Languishing in Camps”?

The protection of refugees languishing in camps in Africa has posed a challenge for the international community for far too long. The OAU Refugee Convention does not reflect refugee rights or provide a durable solution for refugees in host states. Over the last 50 years there have been multiple atte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of African law 2021-05, Vol.65 (S1), p.35-57
Main Authors: Khan, Fatima, Sackeyfio, Cecile
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Burden sharing
Camps
Civil rights
Human rights
International community
Political asylum
Refugee camps
Refugees
Self sufficiency
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Summary:The protection of refugees languishing in camps in Africa has posed a challenge for the international community for far too long. The OAU Refugee Convention does not reflect refugee rights or provide a durable solution for refugees in host states. Over the last 50 years there have been multiple attempts to resolve what remains one of the greatest challenges facing Africa. Each resolution has clarified the steps required to enhance the situation for those most affected and to provide solutions for refugee-hosting countries in need of strategic policies and funding. This article considers recent developments in refugee law since the adoption of the New York Declaration. It specifically evaluates the benefit of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) for African states and the refugees they host. Furthermore, because the OAU convention is the first refugee convention to make international solidarity (ie burden-sharing) a state obligation, the article assesses how the GCR builds on the convention.
ISSN:0021-8553
1464-3731
DOI:10.1017/S0021855321000012