Working Abstract:

In recent years the number of refugees seeking asylum in Western countries has increased dramatically, as have tensions between migrants and natives of differing cultural backgrounds. This same cultural differences and unfamiliarities has sometimes resulted in refugees breaking the law out of ignorance, which is most often not seen as an excuse. This paper reviews some case studies and strives to answer the question as to whether it is in fact legitimate to punish refugees who have committed crimes out of ignorance under the social contract. Such an examination need return to the original social contract theorists’ works to establish foundational qualifications for an individual to agree to the social contract. According to Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, the ignorance that refugees possess of the core principles and processes of Western legal systems may render them unable to be considered signatories of the social contract, and therefore cannot be legitimately punished for a breach of that contract. In that case, the same philosophers argue that the government has both an obligation to, and real interest in providing refugees with civic education to eliminate that ignorance and make them full participating and responsible members of the social contract, as they would anyone else. This prescription additionally raises further questions about the quality of civic education granted to citizens, and whether or not Western governments are fulfilling their duty to educate their own citizenry completely. 

Relevance and Impact:

In a world which is ever globalizing and where multiculturalism is inevitable, the cultural differences are something which governments need to learn how to deal with. The diversity which we rightfully celebrate can cause real hindrances and for, and injustices in, our political and legal systems. The philosophers who wrote the theories may never have been able to imagine the world we live in today, but insofar as our systems of government and theories of society are built on these ideas, we should still seek their advice in how to adapt to the challenges posed to these systems by the modern world. Migration will only grow in magnitude in the coming years and decades  as a result of climate change and other factors, so the questions of the how government can better accept refugees and its obligations towards them, are more pressing than ever. 

Update and Next Steps:

This post marks the completion of my first draft of the the paper which explores and strives to answer these questions. I will continue to work through the month of August and through the next semester to continue revising the paper and get it ready to be sent to academic journals in hopes of it getting published. I will likely develop different versions of the paper to be better suited to the particular styles of different journals. Of course, though this whole process I will continue to work with Professor Evrigenis, and will also reach out to other Tufts University professors who have experience publishing with undergraduates on their own research. Because of Prof. Evrigenis leaving Tufts, I will also be looking to the other Tufts professors I will reach out to more involved in the project long term as a grows, hopefully, towards a senior thesis.