International refugee law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International refugee law - Essay Example In this regard the paper is divided into two sections with the first section dealing with the internationally recognized rights of refugees and the second section providing for the context of Somali refugees in Kenya and their right to stay out of refugee camps. Countries have been allowing protection for people and groups escaping persecution for centuries, however the current approach to protecting the rights of these individuals is based on a law that has its origins in the aftermath of the Second World War. The greatest challenge facing individuals arriving in a foreign country is to convince authorities that they are entitled to recognition as refugees. The questions that are raised by the authorities is the level of risk necessary by the standard of well-founded fear, the harm encompassed by being persecuted and the duty of the refugees to seek an internal remedy before seeking refugee protection in another country. Also important are the grounds for the protection of refugees as well as the connection required between these grounds and the risk of being persecuted. For reasons of both pragmatism and principle less developed countries, which host the greater majority of refugees, rarely contest the eligibility of refugee status for in dividuals arriving at its borders. The conceptual generosity of these states, however does not match with the efforts of these countries to treat the refugees in line with the provisions of the refugee convention. In essence, refugees in less developed countries are often socially marginalized, detained, left physically at risk and even denied the capability of meeting their most basic needs.1 Individuals who are forced to run away from their country due to the fear of persecution, whether as part of a group or on an individual basis due to religious, military, political or any other reason are regarded as refugees. The meaning of a refugee has varied according to place and time,