Sovereignty Cannot Hold Back the Power of Humanity

Abstract

At the heart of the current refugee crisis affecting Europe’s borders is the poor exercise of sovereign judgment. Sovereignty, as a fundamental principle of international law, implies that countries have absolute control over what happens within its borders, free from foreign interference. A state’s power to exclude people from crossing its borders flows directly from this power. Whether it is Hungary’s use of tear gas against asylum seekers, Slovakia’s decision to only accept Christian refugees, or Croatia’s separation of refugee families, the use of sovereign powers in this crisis raises important questions about the role and responsibilities of states as members of the international community.

Keywords: refugee law, sovereignty, international law, Syria, Iraq, ISIS, Europe, refugee crisis

JEL Classification: K10, K30, K33