Human Security and Non-Citizens: Law, Policy and International Affairs - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521513294 ISBN 13: 9780521513296

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2010

Synopsis

The past decades have seen enormous changes in our perceptions of 'security', the causes of insecurity and the measures adopted to address them. Threats of terrorism and the impacts of globalisation and mass migration have shaped our identities, politics and world views. This volume of essays analyses these shifts in thinking and, in particular, critically engages with the concept of 'human security' from legal, international relations and human rights perspectives. Contributors consider the special circumstances of non-citizens, such as refugees, migrants, and displaced and stateless persons, and assess whether, conceptually and practically, 'human security' helps to address the multiple challenges they face.

About this title

Review:

'A very fine set of essays! Many of those writing span both academic and practitioner worlds, making this a particularly valuable and accessible volume.' Professor Gil Loescher, University of Oxford

'Might a paradigm shift make a positive difference in the lives of non-citizens? Alice Edwards and Carla Ferstman believe that it might. They argue that the emerging concept of 'human security' ... should be relied on to 'plug some of the gaps' in the current human rights-based legal framework. Most essays in this wide-ranging collection explore the extent of the 'protection gap' ... They expose the risks faced even by refugees subjected to extraterritorial deterrence or left to languish in desperate circumstances. And most pointedly, this book makes clear that the fixation with traditional state-based notions of security over the last decade has made a difficult situation for non-citizens that much worse ... The thoughtful essays in this volume launch [a] critical debate in a compelling way.' James C. Hathaway, University of Michigan

'Human Security and Non-Citizens is a major contribution by international relations scholars, foreign policy advisors and international lawyers to [the] 're-thinking' of notions of security ... [and] makes a significant contribution to existing scholarship on the relationship between international law and International Relations through the human security lens. [The book] is an essential addition to the literature on refugees, migrants and citizenship. [T]he editors of this volume must be congratulated for the breadth and depth of the topics covered which is nothing short of impressive.' International Journal of Refugee Law

'Human Security and Non-Citizens ... is meticulous in detailing the ways in which non-citizens fall foul of forms of state protection and security in the early twenty-first century ... All chapters are precise, well-informed and well-written; [it] is a service to the policy debate on human security ...' Journal of Refugee Studies

'[Human Security and Non-Citizens] is to be highly recommended both for the depth of research and the interest and relevance of the subject matter ... [It] serve[s] to enlighten and inform through considerable attention to documentation and careful historiographical research of the ... literature ... Given the vast remit of the volume, no article of limited length can do justice to its contents. Suffice to say that this is a vital book to read for lawyers ... for academic researchers who wish to gain further insights, and for students who seek a general introduction to the relevant and complex issues that prevail in this new century.' History: Reviews of New Books

Book Description:

Terrorism, globalisation and mass migration have shaped our perceptions of security. Using a number of practical examples, this volume of essays considers whether the concept of 'human security' helps to address the multiple challenges faced by non-citizens today, including displacement, mass irregular migration, poverty, climate change, discrimination and counter-terrorism measures.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0521513294
• ISBN 13: 9780521513296
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 642
• Editor: Edwards Alice, Ferstman Carla