ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an analysis of the asylum crisis with particular focus on the regional legal regimes for protecting asylum seekers in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the South Asia. It seeks an understanding of what legal regime exists, at the level of regional organizations in each region, for the protection of asylum seekers, and how regional institutions such as human rights commissions and regional courts enforce and adjudicate the laws. The book considers the role ASEAN plays in promoting 'neighbourliness' and human rights in Southeast Asia, especially considering that it is currently developing a Charter on Human Rights. It discusses the nature of the regional protection of asylum seekers within the existing regional systems and asks what shapes individual regional experiences and how regional institutions deal with the crisis.
