Physical barriers to asylum refer to material obstacles that prevent access to asylum determination procedures, such as walls, fences, pushbacks, and detention centres. Such barriers are being implemented around the globe on a weekly basis to keep refugees out, and consequently reduce the number of individuals claiming asylum. In a global refugee context lacking an international court to interpret the 1951 Refugee Convention, the burden of assessing the compatibility of these physical barriers with the Refugee Convention lies on national and international courts. When interpreting the same treaty, these separate jurisdictions are often presented with similar factual circumstances and have a duty to uphold the rule of law. Yet different jurisdictions, even from the same region, have yielded differing interpretations on the compatibility of such barriers with international refugee law. REFORM’s central research question is: how do courts around the world assess the compatibility of physical barriers to asylum with the Refugee Convention ?

Sustainable Development Goals

Masaryk University is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to improve the conditions and quality of life on our planet by 2030.