Ep. 24 - Dr. Romit Bhandari, Senior Lecturer, University of East London, on Migration Laws and Policy

Brian J Matos

In this episode, Brian speaks with Dr. Romit Bhandari, an experienced legal academic, consultant and editor with a focused interest in human rights and international refugee law. He joins the show to have an in depth conversation about the fundamentals of laws governing migration across international borders.

Romit is the author of Human Rights and the Revision of Refugee Law, which addresses the relationship between International Refugee Law and International Human Rights Law.

In this conversation, Romit and Brian discuss the definitions and parameters of refugee law, focusing on the concepts of refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons. Romit explains the legal architecture of refugee law and the criteria that individuals must meet to be granted refugee status. The United Nation's 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol are important milestone agreements that set the foundation of the definitions still used today (in 2023).

Dr. Bandari also explores the interpretation of the term "persecution" and the role of human rights law and ethics in defining it. He highlights the challenges faced by refugees in seeking asylum, including non-entree policies and safe third country agreements. The conversation sheds light on the complexities and limitations of the current refugee system, which lead to many of the public policy challenges facing nations and individuals today.

To learn more about Romit and his work:

• Website biography: https://uel.ac.uk/about-uel/staff/romit-bhandari
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rom-bhandari-58581835/?originalSubdomain=uk
• X: https://twitter.com/docromromrom?lang=en

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Listen to the interview, then give us your perspective.

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