The preferences and interests of refugees in the process of allocation

Abstract

This thesis provides an ethical analysis of the different factors that go into the allocation of refugees within the context of the Netherlands. The first of these factors are the preferences and interests of refugees. I argue that a host country has a duty to take these into consideration on the grounds of equal respect and the overall primary moral goal of enhancing people’s well-being. Specifically for refugees, the two moral views on which asylum is provided further substantiate this duty. In line with the humanitarian view this is because the satisfying of interests can be seen as synonymous to protecting their human rights. In line with the legitimacy repair role this is because this is a necessary condition for the legitimacy of the current global governance regime. Aside from the preferences and interests of refugees, a fair distribution of burden across municipalities, as well as the preferences of municipalities also deserve to be considered in the allocation process. A set of principles is presented in which an order of moral weight is attributed to each factor. The final chapter showcases how this set of principles is to be applied to the current allocation scheme in the Netherlands under the spread law.