Noi culturi, noi antropologii - Humanitas

these countries’ legislation contained no special exceptions
for recognized refugees). Many recognized refugees in Romania
were unable to answer these conditions. This could
be one of the explanations of the refugees’ mass departure
from Romania towards Western Europe during the first wave
of analysis.
According to UNHCR the automatic expiration of the refugee
status is unfamiliar to the 1951 Convention. Moreover,
it strips the recognized refugee of his status without providing
a secure status, as foreseen by the international instruments
and by the 1951 Convention which Romania signed
and agreed upon: „Conditions which are irrelevant to the
fear of persecution he may still have and the protection he
may still require, residency under the foreigners regime,
cannot in fact provide the aspects of protection and the continuity
of residence provided by refugee status. Placing refugees
in such a position is inconsistent with their rights under
the 1951 Convention“ 159 . Thus, in this first wave, Romania
acted contrary to the international law and considered to be
a violation of the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status
of Refugees: „At present, the Romanian provision providing
for the automatic expiration of refugee status does not satisfy
any of these conditions, and as such, is in clear breach
of the 1951 Convention standards“ 160 .
Under the 1951 Convention, a recognized refugee maintains
his refugee status until he or she acquires the citizenship
of the country of destination. The status can indeed to
be withdrawn when he or she does not longer need international
protection (the situation in his country of origin has
remedied) or if the authorities of the destination country
discover that the status was granted based on the misrepresentation
of material facts or based on the exclusion causes
stipulated by the 1951 Convention.
A further inconsistency in the Refugee Law in Romania
before 2001 was that once a refugee was granted a domicile
159. UNHCR. (2000) Integration Rights and Practices with Regard to
Recognized Refugees in the Central European Countries, Geneva, p. 53.
160. Ibidem.
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