자국 우선주의 정책과 국제법상 난민⋅이민자 보호-트럼프 행정부의 미국 우선주의를 중심으로-

“America First” Policy and Protection of Refugees and Immigrants under International Law

Among the Trump administration’s new approaches based on its “America First Policy”, the issue of ban on Muslim immigration could be most hottest one. By signing a series of Executive Orders just after the presidential inauguration, the US administration barred all nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – from entering the US for three months, and announced many other anti-immigration actions, including deportation of all illegal immigrants. Domestically, these measures were temporarily blocked by some US Federal Courts, basically based on the First (freedom of religion), Fifth (due process) and Tenth (federalism) Amendments to the US Constitution. Under international human rights and refugee law, these would also be a clear violation of the principles of non-discrimination and non-refoulement. Not only America, but also many European countries have recently shown some similar nationalistic, namely anti-international, tendency, which can be seen, for example, in the so-called Brexit and the French Presidential election. Mass influx of asylum-seekers from adjacent continents, terrorist attacks in major cities and economic depression, have all together made many people living that region fear refugees and immigrants and give politicians an opportunity to utilise this fear negatively. On the other hand, the international community, especially the United Nations, is making all its efforts in enhancing international cooperation for the effective protection of refugees and immigrants, based on the spirit of international solidarity and responsibility-sharing. One good example could be the adoption of the 2016 New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and coming two relevant Global Compacts. Korea also needs to review and improve its relevant domestic law and practice towards ensuring more effectively the rights of refugees and migrants/immigrants, and contributing properly to the relevant international cooperation and assistance.