Personal portfolio by

Topic Selection and Initial Plan

azankhan24_2 — 2025-05-08 23:18:30 UTC

This week I finalized my research topic: “Is the Right to Seek Asylum Being Respected Under International Human Rights Law in Europe?”
I created a basic outline and defined my objective: to analyse European states’ compliance with international obligations using doctrinal legal methodology.
I listed key sources to explore: the 1951 Refugee Convention, ECHR, EU Charter, and ECtHR/CJEU case law.
Goal for next week: Begin literature review and start collecting legal materials.

Legal Frameworks and Literature Review

azankhan24_2 — 2025-05-08 23:18:56 UTC

I focused on reading the legal framework: UDHR (Article 14), Refugee Convention, and ECHR (Article 3, Protocol 4).
I also reviewed cases: Hirsi Jamaa v. Italy and M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece.
Academic sources like Hathaway (2021) and Moraru (2022) were very insightful.
Reflection: The amount of legal material was overwhelming. Next week, I will focus only on Europe-specific content.
Goal for next week: Finalize literature review and begin drafting methodology section.

Doctrinal Analysis of Key Cases

azankhan24_2 — 2025-05-08 23:19:47 UTC

I closely read and analysed Hirsi Jamaa, M.S.S., Commission v. Hungary, and N.D. and N.T. v. Spain.
These cases helped me understand how courts interpret non-refoulement and the right to seek asylum.
I drafted the first 500 words of my analysis section.
Reflection: I underestimated the time required for judgment analysis. I will now allocate extra time for each case.

Evaluating Europe’s Externalization Practices

azankhan24_2 — 2025-05-08 23:20:36 UTC

I explored the EU-Turkey Deal, UK-Rwanda proposal, and Italy-Albania plan.
Used Amnesty and UNHCR reports to understand legal concerns about offshoring asylum processing.
Added this as a new sub-section in data analysis.
Reflection: These policies directly contradict the spirit of international protection.

Time Management & Challenges

azankhan24_2 — 2025-05-08 23:21:07 UTC

I’ve fallen behind by 2 days due to the complexity of citations and legal language.
I adapted my plan: created shorter daily goals (e.g., 200 words per session).
I also started using Zotero for references which saved time.
Reflection: Legal writing takes more time than expected. Planning smaller tasks helps reduce stress.

Personal Reflection – Emotional Impact

azankhan24_2 — 2025-05-08 23:21:43 UTC

Reading about asylum seekers stranded at borders, denied protection, and detained was emotionally challenging.
I noted the importance of emotional well-being while doing human rights research.
I took breaks and discussed findings with peers to process difficult content.
This helped me maintain motivation while keeping a human perspective on the legal content.

Final Review and Learning Outcomes

azankhan24_2 — 2025-05-08 23:22:12 UTC

I completed the final draft, proofread it for clarity, and cross-checked citations.
I feel more confident in analysing international law and linking doctrine to real-world violations.
Key skills gained: legal research, critical thinking, structured writing, and time management.
I’ve also learned how to receive and apply feedback constructively.
Goal: Submit final report and include this Padlet link.