The role of non-governmental organizations in the repatriation of refugees

This paper examines the ethical responsibilities of those NGOs that assist in repatriating migrants from countries that do not want them -- in particular, the case of the South Sudanese in Israel. Did NGOs exploit these migrants by using repatriation to appeal to donors? Were NGOs complicit in a government policy that may have been unjust

Why the EU should consider decriminalising people smuggling

EU member states agreed on 14 September to strengthen actions against people smugglers in the Mediterranean as part of their response to the ongoing migration crisis. Mollie Gerver writes that instead of scaling up actions against smugglers, a better option may be to decriminalise the practice. She argues that criminal sanctions against people smuggling are counter-productive on the basis that they create incentives for smugglers to disregard the safety of migrants and refugees, while also strengthening associated arms trading and human trafficking networks

Sufficiency, Priority, and Selecting Refugees

There are more refugees than many states have a duty to accept. As a result, many states are permitted to accept only some refugees and not others. This raises the question of how states should select these refugees. I defend the claim that states should resettle the worst‐off refugees, and maximize the number of refugees gaining a sufficiently decent life. When resettling the worst off conflicts with maximising the number gaining a sufficiently decent life, states should select refugees to maximise aggregate benefits, with benefits holding greater weight the further refugees are from a sufficiency threshold. The only exception to this rule is when it entails wrongful discrimination, in which case states should only follow this rule if victims of discrimination benefit and consent to its implementation

The role of non-governmental organizations in the repatriation of refugees

This paper examines the ethical responsibilities of those NGOs that assist in repatriating migrants from countries that do not want them -- in particular, the case of the South Sudanese in Israel. Did NGOs exploit these migrants by using repatriation to appeal to donors? Were NGOs complicit in a government policy that may have been unjust

Data Privacy: an ethical dilemma

Between 2010 and 2015 several thousand asylum seekers repatriated from Israel back to East Africa. Some returned with the help of NGOs, who claimed to only assist with repatriation that was entirely voluntary and informed. To see if this was true, and to learn about conditions after return, Mollie Gerver interviewed 154 individuals in South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda. During the course of her research, she experienced an ethical dilemma, which she discussed in a recent article in the journal Ethical Theory and Moral Practice

Paying minorities to leave

In April 1962, white segregationists paid money to African Americans agreeing to leave New Orleans. In 2010, the British National Party proposed paying non-white migrants money to leave the UK. Five years later, a landlord in New York paid African American tenants to vacate their apartments. This article considers when, if ever, it is morally permissible to pay minorities to leave. I argue that paying minorities to leave is demeaning towards recipients and so wrong. Although the payments are wrong, it is not clear if they are impermissible, given the benefits for the recipients. I argue that payments are impermissible if at least one of two conditions are met: The payments demean or harm other members of society, or the payments are provided to recipients who have failed to consent to the payments

Book review: Unjust borders: individuals and the ethics of immigration by Javier Hidalgo

In Unjust Borders: Individuals and the Ethics of Immigration, Javier S. Hidalgo makes a clear and engaging case for open borders, arguing that immigration control is unjustly coercive and outlining the responsibilities we have as individuals when it comes to responding to this injustice. This book is essential reading for scholars studying migration and policymakers policing it, writes Mollie Gerver, as well as for all citizens deciding what to do in a world where borders remain closed and movement remains curtailed

The EU’s Operation Sophia has failed to make conditions safer for refugees

In 2015, EU countries assembled a naval force charged with saving the lives of refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Mollie Gerver states that while the EU’s efforts under this operation – named ‘Operation Sophia’ – have saved many refugees’ lives at sea, they have also led smugglers to switch to rubber dinghies instead of the relatively secure boats that were employed earlier. Based on a recent House of Lord report, she highlights overlooked humanitarian concerns and suggests a new approach that would improve conditions for refugees

The Ethics of refugee repatriation

Mollie Gerver examines how refugees can be assisted in a making an informed choice in returning to a country from which they have fled

An EU quota trading system for refugees would offer a fair method for alleviating Europe’s migration crisis

The European Commission has proposed a quota system for distributing the responsibility for asylum seekers across EU member states. Mollie Gerver writes that while the principle of refugee quotas has generated opposition, a quota trading system, in which states can sell all or part of their quotas to other states, could offer a solution. She notes that although there would remain reservations about such a system, it would ensure that states who accept disproportionately more asylum seekers are compensated for doing so, while those who accept fewer pay for the privilege