Regional Cooperation and Refugee Protection in Latin America: A 'South-South' Approach

The Limits and Opportunities of Regional Solidarity: Exploring Refugee Resettlement in Brazil and Chile

“…However, this solidarity, he argues, has provided a 'utopian ambition' that has not translated into effective implementation of resettlement as a durable solution. By contrast, other authors state that the principle of 'solidarity' has contributed to 'norm development', which facilitated regional cooperation in refugee protection (Barichello, 2015;Harley, 2014). Furthermore, the language of solidarity creates a branding of 'generosity' that helps states to increase acceptance of refugee protection and responsibility sharing (Kneebone, 2016).…”

“…This dual reading allows exploration of resettlement at both regional and local levels, drawing on original interview material with resettled refugees and key organisations in Brazil and Chile. At the regional level, resettlement has resulted in a limited expansion of resettlement intake, but it has had positive effects in promoting certain norms and protection spaces for forced migrants (Guglielmelli‐White, ; Harley, ). At local levels, resettled refugees faced different challenges securing access to rights and citizenship status, which affected their integration (Vera Espinoza, ).…”

“…Therefore, in the context of resettlement, ‘solidarity’ refers to a common exercise of interest and cooperation between states in the region, but also between the region and the international community. This approach makes it a relevant example of South‐South cooperation (Harley, ). Importantly, while resettlement ‐ as a discretionary state measure ‐ can be considered as an act of generosity, it is not totally unselfish (see de Menezes, ).…”

Comparative regional protection frameworks for refugees: norms and norm entrepreneurs

“…By contrast, in Latin America, as Barichello explains, the regional approach, through the MPA has encouraged news ways of thinking about regional cooperation. As she says, the MPA is an important South-South initiative, 95 and a break from the past. For example, one feature of CIREFCA was the fact that there was strong support from the global North (in particular from the European Commission and the Italian government).…”

Refugee protection and responsibility sharing in Latin America: solidarity programmes and the Mexico Plan of Action

“…In the absence of an international regime for state cooperation, there is a risk that the disparate sharing of responsibilities for the protection of refugees could undermine the whole international refugee law system. 35 In 2001, the UNHCR stated in a discussion paper that burden sharing 'is a key to the protection of refugees and the resolution of the refugee problem'. 36 Hathaway and Neve defend the collectivised protection approach 'that allows a balance to be struck between meeting the responsibility to grant asylum and shouldering the burden of financing protection'.37 This balance is what they term 'common but differentiated responsibility'.…”