While the Syrian refugee crisis unravels at the European Union’s (EU) doorstep and as the death toll in the Mediterranean continues unabated, questions about the international community’s duty to act on behalf of the afflicted people inevitably arise, thereby fuelling convoluted debates about Responsibility to Protect (R2P). In light of the international community’s inertia and of the EU’s incapacity to adequately manage the worst humanitarian crisis of recent times, this article suggests that time is ripe to explore other ways to implement R2P. We argue that there is a ‘missing’ link between R2P and refugee protection and that the duty to protect refugees can be framed within the R2P discourse. Building on the idea that asylum is central to the implementation of R2P, we suggest that the acknowledgment of the linkage between R2P and refugee protection is helpful not only to improve the EU management of the current crisis, but also to uphold R2P when the international community is at a stalemate. 

When Responsibility to Protect ‘hits home’: The EU and the Syrian crisis

PANEBIANCO, Stefania Paola Ludovica
;
FONTANA, IOLE PINA
2018-01-01

Abstract

While the Syrian refugee crisis unravels at the European Union’s (EU) doorstep and as the death toll in the Mediterranean continues unabated, questions about the international community’s duty to act on behalf of the afflicted people inevitably arise, thereby fuelling convoluted debates about Responsibility to Protect (R2P). In light of the international community’s inertia and of the EU’s incapacity to adequately manage the worst humanitarian crisis of recent times, this article suggests that time is ripe to explore other ways to implement R2P. We argue that there is a ‘missing’ link between R2P and refugee protection and that the duty to protect refugees can be framed within the R2P discourse. Building on the idea that asylum is central to the implementation of R2P, we suggest that the acknowledgment of the linkage between R2P and refugee protection is helpful not only to improve the EU management of the current crisis, but also to uphold R2P when the international community is at a stalemate. 
2018
EU, R2P, Syria, Refugees, asylum
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
panebianco fontana TWQ april 2020.pdf

solo utenti autorizzati

Descrizione: Articolo principale
Tipologia: Versione Editoriale (PDF)
Licenza: NON PUBBLICO - Accesso privato/ristretto
Dimensione 1.21 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.21 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/303163
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact