Political Rights in Precarious Realities; A Socio-Legal Exploration of Syrian Refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan

Er politiske rettigheter menneskerettigheter for flyktninger òg? I hvilken grad er det en forutsetning for innvilgelse av asyl at søkeren avstår fra politiske aktiviteter? Det hersker ingen enighet om hva slags politiske aktiviteter flyktninger legitimt kan være involvert i. Politiske rettigheter er sentrale i det internasjonale menneskerettighetsrammeverket, og det er ofte en krenkelse av slike rettigheter som fører til flyktningsituasjoner. Prinsippet om asylinstituttets sivile og humanitære karakter fordrer likevel at flyktninger til en viss grad er "ikke-politiske", og kan dermed begrense deres politiske handlingsrom. Hvordan forholder disse to normene seg til hverandre? Og hvilke andre rettslige faktorer kan spille en rolle her? Dette komplekse samspillet er fokus for denne studien, med utgangspunkt i eksisterende rettslige standarder og en rettssosiologisk studie av syriske og sudanske flyktninger i sterkt politiserte omstendigheter i Midtøsten.

To what extent, if at all, is the abstention from internationally significant political activities a condition attached to the granting of asylum? Is there an insurmountable conflict between respect for the (political) rights of refugees and the provision of asylum? Exactly which political activities are legitimate for refugees to engage in during exile and which activities are not, is a matter of controversy. The right to engage in political associations is a core standard in international human rights law, and it is the suppression of this right that often leads to refugee situations. At the same time, because it requires that refugees are to a certain extent 'non-political', the principle of the civilian and humanitarian nature of asylum may fundamentally restrict the political space of refugees. How, then, does this right to take part in political activities directed against the country of origin, relate to the non-political nature of asylum? It is this complex interaction that this project will study. A strength of the proposed research is that it innovatively combines an in-depth study of existing legal standards with a study of how these standards are reflected in State practice. While legal analysis will clarify applicable international law standards, legal sociology provides the lens for analyzing the implementation of such standards. Through comparative research on Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, this project seeks to study refugee political rights and activities in three highly political settings. Syrians constitute the world's largest refugee population and their political activities are apparent, ranging from organized political opposition groups, to armed opposition groups and various non-organized youth- and media activism. State responses towards such activities have varied from tolerance or support to harsh crackdowns. But how should the political rights of refugees be balanced in politically precarious realities?