Who is Recognized as a Refugee? Insights from Diverse Disciplines

Abstract

The implementation practices of ‹who is a refugee› vary widely in theirapproaches and outcomes. Scholarship in legal anthropology, sociolegal studiesand comparative political science aims to understand and to explain the different(and often inconsistent) outcomes of individuals when seeking asylum. In this forumarticle, I provide an overview of this scholarship, critically reflecting its benefitsand limitations. The multidisciplinary research on refugee status determinationshows that outcomes depend heavily on extraneous political factors, institutionaldesign, and the personal predispositions of individual decision-makers. It is, how-ever, often limited to European asylum systems, with a strong focus on decisionmakers' discretion. In light of these limitations of the existing scholarship, thearticle concludes with a brief overview of theRefMigproject's research, whichhas aimed to offer a more global view of practices.

Cathryn Costello. "Who is Recognised as a Refugee? Insights from Diverse Disciplines." Z'Flucht. Zeitschrift für Flucht-und Flüchtlingsforschung 7, no. 1 (2023): 120-135.

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