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The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration: a kaleidoscope of international law

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2020

Vincent Chetail
Vincent Chetail*
Affiliation:
Professor of International Law, Director of the Global Migration Centre, Head of the International Law Department, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: vincent.chetail@graduateinstitute.ch
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Abstract

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration has prompted an intense political debate at both the international and domestic levels. Most controversies focus on its legal stance and highlight the hybrid character of the Compact as a soft-law instrument. While acknowledging the political nature of the Compact, this paper delves into its legal dimensions from the perspective of international law. This inquiry into its normative content discloses three main features: (1) the Compact is not a codification of international legal norms governing migration; it is an instrument of both (2) consolidation and (3) expansion of international law to foster inter-governmental co-operation and promote safe, orderly and regular migration.

Keywords

international migration lawsoft lawGlobal Compact for SafeOrderly and Regular Migrationhuman rights

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