ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book introduces the problem of refugee protection, tracing the emergence of the conflict between refugee rights and national interests in European political thought. It examines the emergence of liberal notions of duties to refugees, and their codification in the post Second World War refugee regime. The book also examines liberal universalism and the problem of feasibility. It attempts to incorporate some commitment to community ties into theories of universal duties meanwhile produce incoherent, hybrid theories. The book considers whether social contract theories might be better equipped to provide an adequate account of duties to refugees. It draws a distinction between national interests and ethical duty is not a particularly effective strategy for motivating support for a generous refugee policy. The book proposes an ethics that accords a privileged status to liberal rights, but denies the foundational claims of most universalist accounts.