Refugee Flows as Grounds for International Action

TLDR

The end of the Cold War, religious clashes, failed states, and unprecedented media coverage of humanitarian catastrophes have broadened the perceived mandate for external intervention, challenging traditional notions of security and sovereignty and elevating refugee issues on the international agenda. The study proposes that a range of non‑military actions can be employed to prevent large‑scale refugee crises. UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies advocate a “soft intervention” strategy that combines sustained political and diplomatic initiatives, development assistance, human‑rights monitoring, and the strengthening of civil societies through democratic institutions to avert conflict. Experiences from interventions in Iraqi Kurdistan, Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda demonstrate that humanitarian measures alone are rarely sufficient to address refugee problems.

Abstract

The end of the Cold communal, and religious clashes; the phenomenon of failed states; and reporting of humanitarian catastrophes as never before in world media have led many to claim a broader mandate for outside intervention in a state's internal conflicts. Traditional notions of security and sovereignty are being challenged, placing refugee issues much higher on the international agenda and creating new opportunities for international action. While international responses to humanitarian crises are still more often than not reactive and based on ad hoc initiatives, there is growing international awareness of the linkage between human rights abuses, forcible displacement of civilian populations, and local, regional, and international security. The sobering experiences with interventions in protracted crises in Iraqi Kurdistan, Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda underscore the fact that humanitarian measms alone are seldom enough to deal with refugee problems. A wide range of actions, most of them far short of military action, can be taken to avert large-scale refugee crises. International humanitarian agencies, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), currently promote the concept of soft intervention' to prevent situations from degenerating into violent conflicts. Sustained political and diplomatic initiatives, development assistance, human rights monitoring, and the strengthening of civil societies through the building of democratic institutions are all measures that would