Asylum Seekers, Good Faith and the State

The obligation of asylum seekers to be truthful when making claims for asylum is considered in relation to the legitimate interest of the State to restrict access of non-citizens to its territory, which may be limited by the principle of non-refoulement. Refugee law and practice are at loggerheads: insufficient account is taken of the dilemma of states, which have clear obligations towards asylum seekers but which have little or no means to address the dilemma of how to deal with asylum seekers who make dishonest asylum claims.