Prof. Meili Presents Research on Asyum Law at University of Oxford

Professor Steve Meili presented his research on the constitutionalization of asylum law at the University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre. His talk was part of the RSC’s weekly seminar series. In his talk, Meili argued that the proliferation of provisions guaranteeing a right to asylum in constitutions around the world provides a form of protection for refugees that is broader than the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the principal international agreement governing the treatment of persons fleeing persecution. Constitutional asylum law may be particularly relevant in countries which have traditonally been reluctant to utilize it, including many E.U. Member States, given the recent surge in nationalism and aversion to globalization. Meili’s presentation is the subject of an article forthcoming in the Fordham International Law Journal, and is part of his ongoing study of the effectiveness of treaties and other international instruments designed to protect noncitizens.