Abstract
This thesis applies international relations theory to better understand the political maneuvering of states in refugee affairs. It argues that previous contributions to this debate have used a wrong paradigm to describe burden-sharing politics in the refugee regime, resulting in models which are too static to capture the high-politics of refugee affairs. In particular, the thesis criticizes the "North vs. South" model proposed by Betts (2009), which argues that the burden-sharing politics in the refugee regime can be understood as an opposition between states in the global "North" and global "South". Where Betts uses the geographic position of the state to understand burden-sharing politics in the refugee regime, the essay argues that it is in fact the geographic position of the refugee which matters. Replacing the state-centered paradigm with a refugee-centered paradigm, it then argues that state maneuvering in the refugee regime should not be described as a North vs. South impasse, but as a zero-sum game between states seeking to evade asylum-burdens and states seeking to reduce refugee-burdens.
Department
Middle East Studies Center
Degree Name
MA in Arabic Studies
Graduation Date
2-1-2018
Submission Date
September 2017
First Advisor
Awad, Ibrahim
Committee Member 1
Natarajan, Usha
Committee Member 2
Pinfari, Marco
Extent
78 p.
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Rights
The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Not necessary for this item
Recommended Citation
APA Citation
van de Fliert, M.
(2018).The politics of burden-sharing in the refugee regime: The refugee as point of reference [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/400
MLA Citation
van de Fliert, Mark. The politics of burden-sharing in the refugee regime: The refugee as point of reference. 2018. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/400