April 10, 2026

Human Rights in Contemporary Societies

Elsa Lechner e Júlia Garraio

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the process of restarting, relocating and resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers in Portugal and the (non)compliance with Human Rights in a reception-exclusion relationship. The legal instruments and policies of the European Union used by the Reception Centers and the Portuguese government in the reception and integration of individuals from the Relocation and Resettlement Programs were also investigated. This research is committed to upholding fundamental human rights in distinct geopolitical, sociocultural, economic, and religious contexts.This study investigates the concrete access to rights granted or denied to refugees and asylum seekers, since the international language of human rights is one of power and resistance. It is based on a critical reflection on human rights, which questions its very notion of human rights as it operates across different societies. The study also examines their impact on refugees and asylum seekers, who are frequently excluded and perceived as "strangers," "outsiders," "monsters." These dynamics are considered particularly in relation to their reception, inclusion, and hospitality. In this sense, the investigation focused on two main legal mechanisms that, within the European Union, and therefore in Portugal, govern international protection in matters of asylum: Refugee Status (RS) and Subsidiary Protection (SP). These legal frameworks were established to protect individuals who are unable to return to their country of origin or former country of asylum due to threats or the absence of adequate protection.The study adopted a qualitative methodology, incorporating bibliographic, documentary, and field research. The documentary research covered the review of relevant United Nations guidelines and international legal instruments, together with national legislation, bilateral agreements, regulations, directives, national decisions, international and national reports. The field research included semi-structured interviews, participant observation of volunteer activities and field diary records. The interviews were conducted with reception center staff (9 individuals from the Portuguese Refugee Council - CPR and 2 individuals the Portuguese Red Cross - Coimbra Delegation), as well as interviews with biographical accounts from refugees, asylum seekers and beneficiaries of temporary protection (11 individuals from Syria, Iraq, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Ukraine) to document their concrete experiences throughout the reception and integration process during and after the 18 months of the support program. The research participants in this thesis, resettled refugees from Turkey and Egypt and relocated asylum seekers from Greece and Italy, were selected as they are marked by a greater situation of vulnerability, subordination, invisibility and social fragility.Through the analysis of the testimonies of interlocutors and legal documents, it was concluded that alternative solutions to refugee and asylum seekers circumstances, such as resettlement and relocation, present opportunities for them to restart their lives in a secure nation. Furthermore, it was possible to discern the transformation of the asylum seeker and refugee from a stranger, an unknown other, into an individual with human rights that require recognition. In this regard, the role of reception centers was crucial in the process of receiving and integrating those relocated and resettled. They supported these individuals in the process of starting over in Portugal during the 18-month program and often after its conclusion. Additionally, there were opportunities, contradictions, and challenges in the process of welcoming, starting a new life, and integrating individuals who were relocated or resettled in Portugal. Although some successful cases have been reported concerning the autonomy and integration of those who have been relocated and resettled, there have been instances of disintegration and non-compliance with human rights. Therefore, the processes of reception and integration of resettled refugees and asylum seekers relocated to Portugal are marked by instances of integration and disintegration, exclusion and discrimination, as well as respect for and violation of human rights.

Keywords: Exclsusion and Discrimination; Human Rights; Inclusion and integration; Reception; Refugees and Asylum Seekers