7814. Refugee Law

Millions of people worldwide are forced to flee their homes as a result of persecution, war, or other factors. This course will focus on legal responses to the problem of refugees, on both the international level and in United States law. The course will examine the development of international norms concerning the protection of refugees under the U.N Refugee Convention and Protocol and the Convention Against Torture, and consider in depth the laws and institutions that address claims for asylum and related forms of protection in the United States. The course will examine issues such as the legal standards for qualifying for refugee status, the challenges of assessing applicants' credibility, and the complex and controversial issues raised by the increasing numbers of refugees fleeing from gender-based harms (such as domestic violence, forced marriage, and female genital cutting) and gang violence.