A Topographical Approach to Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Migration Control

This Article charts a “topographical” approach to accountability in migration control, whereby the site of a violation is perceived from a bird’s-eye view and accountability pursued through diverse legal regimes and via a broadened geographic lens. Drawing on scholarship on legal geography, legal black holes, and strategic litigation, we argue that accountability structures may usefully be approached topographically. Rather than advocating for accountability in regard to particular regimes or jurisdictions, the topographical approach offers a general framework for mapping and exploring the full grid of potential accountability mechanisms.

Keywords: Asylum, Accountability, Migration Control, Strategic Litigation

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Gammeltoft-Hansen, Thomas and Tan, Nikolas Feith, A Topographical Approach to Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Migration Control (April 7, 2020). Forthcoming in German Law Journal 21:3, 2020, iCourts Working Paper Series, no. 192, 2020, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Law Research Paper No. 2020-96, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3570455 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3570455