PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 © 2017 The author and GRDS Publishing. All rights reserved. Available Online at: http://grdspublishing.org/ 167 Vasiliki Kakosimou Volume 3 Issue 2, pp. 167 - 179 Date of Publication: 04 th September, 2017 DOI-https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2017.32.167179 NON-REFOULEMENT AND ACCESS TO ASYLUM Vasiliki Kakosimou Greek Asylum Service, Head of Asylum Unit of Piraeus v.kakosimou@asylo.gov.gr Abstract Contemporary border management situations may trigger refoulement, whereas international refugee law and human rights law prohibit the return to a risk of persecution, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The applicability of non-refoulement, once a State exercises effective control over an individual by his officials, is contravened by international deterrence strategies. Practices of non-entrée are measures taken by States to deal with mass refugee influxes, but breach the fundamental prohibition against refoulement and result in limiting access to asylum. In the EU, non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective expulsions are tightly linked with for safeguarding access to the asylum procedure. The principle of non-refoulement also comes to play in the event of a transfer in the framework of the Dublin Regulation and upon a return after a negative and final decision on the application or as a possible consequence of the ending of the protection. Apart from a few and specific exceptions, the principle of non-refoulement has an absolute nature that ensures the right to asylum, even in cases of emergency for a Member State. Keywords Μass influx, Deterrence, Border management, Push-backs, Access to asylum __________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction Non-refoulement is a key principle in contemporary international refugee law. Alongside with the prohibition of collective expulsions, it helps to ensure access to international protection and to provide the necessary safeguards upon forced removal. Apart from specific exceptions,