The Ethics and Politics of Asylum: Liberal Democracy and the Response to Refugees [Hardcover]

An examination of the ethical and political issues raised by the responses of Western states to refugees.Over the last two decades, asylum has become a highly charged political issue across developed countries. This book draws upon political and ethical theory and an examination of the experiences of the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia to consider how to respond to the challenges of asylum. In addition to explaining why asylum has emerged as such a key political issue, it provides a compelling account of how states could move towards implenting morally defensible responses to refugees.Over the last two decades, asylum has become a highly charged political issue across developed countries. This book draws upon political and ethical theory and an examination of the experiences of the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia to consider how to respond to the challenges of asylum. In addition to explaining why asylum has emerged as such a key political issue, it provides a compelling account of how states could move towards implenting morally defensible responses to refugees.Asylum has become a highly charged political issue across developed countries over the last two decades. This book draws upon political and ethical theory and an examination of the experiences of the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and Australia to consider how to respond to the challenges of asylum. In addition to explaining why it has emerged as such a key political issue, the study provides a compelling account of how states could implement morally defensible responses to refugees.Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Partiality: community, citizenship and the defence of closure; 2. Impartiality: freedom, equality and open borders; 3. The Federal Republic of Germany: the rise and fall of a right to asylum; 4. The United Kingdom: the value of asylum; 5. The United States: the making and breaking of a refugee consensus; 6. Australia: restricting asylum, resettling refuls+