Yussef is currently researching the notion of identity and belonging in human rights law, combining legal and theoretical methodology. His research interests include human rights, social theory, (psychological) citizenship, sense of belonging, and the role of affect in democracy. Yussef received a PhD scholarship at the European University Institute in 2017.
Social Identities. Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, 2020
In a judgment that attracted much media attention, the European Court of Human Rights (Court) rul... more In a judgment that attracted much media attention, the European Court of Human Rights (Court) ruled on 10 January 2017 that obligatory mixed-gender swimming for schoolgirls against the will of their Muslim parents did not violate the right to religious freedom, because the obligation was justified given its integration function. However, the applicants’ claim that such an obligation undermines their sense of belonging to Switzerland was left without reply in the government’s response and the Court’s judgment. This article asks whether and how the Court could have included the applicants’ ‘affective’ claim in its considerations on integration. More broadly, the article aims to discern the Court’s general approach to emotional claims of belonging and where it might be improved. It is argued, drawing from empirical findings in the social sciences, that there is a non-linear relation between different processes of integration. These findings show that while performing an act might improve someone’s cultural integration, it might diminish their emotional integration. The Court should be more aware of these complexities when using the term ‘integration’, as its current linear understanding of integration tends to overlook the importance of belonging.
Identity is a central theme in contemporary politics, but legal academia lacks a rigorous analysi... more Identity is a central theme in contemporary politics, but legal academia lacks a rigorous analysis of this concept. The aim of this article is twofold: (i) firstly, it aims to reveal presumptions on identity in human rights law by mapping how the European Court of Human Rights approaches identity and (ii) secondly, it seeks to analyse these presumptions using theoretical insights on identity. By merging legal and theoretical analysis, this article contributes a reading of the Court's case law which suggests that the tension between the political and apolitical is visible as a common thread in the Court's use of identity. In case law concerning paternity, the Court appears to hold a specific view of what is presented as an unquestionable part of identity. This ostensibly pre-political notion of identity becomes untenable in cases where the nature of an identity feature, such as the headscarf, is contended or a minority has adopted a national identity that conflicts with the majoritarian national identity. The Court's approach to identity in such cases reflects a paradox that is inherent to identity; identity is personal while simultaneously constituted and shaped by overarching power mechanisms.
P lusieurs chercheurs juristes ont noté que, ces dernières années, le raisonne-ment basé sur la v... more P lusieurs chercheurs juristes ont noté que, ces dernières années, le raisonne-ment basé sur la vulnérabilité joue un rôle de plus en plus important dans la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme. Pour tester cette hypothèse, cet article analyse tous les jugements qui contiennent les termes « vulnérabilité », « vulnérable » ou « vulnerable », totalisant 557 cas en janvier 2014. Ce large corpus permet une nouvelle analyse portant sur le rôle de la vulnérabilité dans la jurisprudence de la Cour. Une hausse de l'utilisation de raisonnement basé sur la vulnérabilité par la Cour est constatée : le terme a été utilisé dans 8 % du nombre total de jugements en 2013, partant de 2 % en 2007. Une solide analyse des jugements révèle que la Cour opère plusieurs distinctions entre différents types de vulnérabilité, et met en lumière cer-taines contradictions. La Cour est ambiguë dans la définition des catégories dites « vul-nérables », comme par exemple les victimes de droit pénal. Dans la dernière partie, il est avancé que la hausse de l'usage de raison-nements basée sur la vulnérabilité coïncide avec une approche active de la Cour dans la défense des groupes défavorisés. Le terme de vulnérabilité permet de définir les responsa-bilités et de réduire la marge d'appréciation des États. Abstract S everal legal authors have noted that, in
De ontkenning van het HvJ EU dat de Visumcode verplicht tot afgifte van een kort verblijf visum o... more De ontkenning van het HvJ EU dat de Visumcode verplicht tot afgifte van een kort verblijf visum op humanitaire gronden aan Syriërs, waarmee zij vervolgens een verzoek om internationale bescherming zouden kunnen indienen, is volgens Yussef Al Tamimi, Evelien Brouwer en Rosa Coene ‘zeer teleurstellend’. Zij schetsen het wettelijk kader en de praktijk inzake humanitaire visa en bekritiseren de motiveringen van het Hof, dat voor een andere uitleg van de Visumcode zou hebben kunnen kiezen. Ze wijzen ten slotte op mogelijkheden die nu nog open staan.
On 8 December 2016, the Belgian court submitted prejudicial questions to the Court of Justice of ... more On 8 December 2016, the Belgian court submitted prejudicial questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) concerning the issuing of humanitarian visas to a Christian Syrian family. The central question is whether international treaties and European Union law can oblige consuls and embassies of EU Member States to issue a humanitarian visa. This document will discuss developments in the European Union with regard to humanitarian visas, the interpretation of the Visa Code in light of the Schengen Borders Code, the entitlement of the Syrian family in this case to asylum protection, the conditions in Lebanon as a ‘safe third country’ and the argument that a positive judgment of the Court will open the ‘floodgates’.
De reden om over methodologie te schrijven in dit stuk is dat er in de scriptiebeoordeling op wor... more De reden om over methodologie te schrijven in dit stuk is dat er in de scriptiebeoordeling op wordt gehamerd, maar wij als juristen eigenlijk geen goed idee hebben wat methodologie betekent. Daar zal nog decennialang over worden gedebatteerd, dat zal zich niet zomaar oplossen. Waar het in de tussentijd om draait is dat jij in de methodologie kan verwoorden welke keuzes je maakt bij het onderzoeken en schrijven van je scriptie, en waarom. Dit stuk probeert het makkelijker voor je te maken om bij jezelf te achterhalen welke keuzes je aan het maken bent en waarom, zodat je de diepgang en reflectie die in de methodologie-beoordeling worden vereist kan opbrengen.
PAPER PRESENTED AT MANCEPT WORKSHOP FOR POLITICAL THEORY, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, 8 SEPTEMBER 2... more PAPER PRESENTED AT MANCEPT WORKSHOP FOR POLITICAL THEORY, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, 8 SEPTEMBER 2016
This comparative case study investigates elements of higher education consumerism in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Following a theory-driven analytical framework of different conceptions of social citizenship, it will examine how social citizenship is constructed in recent higher education funding policy reforms. Although the term ‘consumer’ is seldom mentioned explicitly in these reforms, the thematic analysis in this study suggests that the funding reforms promote features of a particular, libertarian conception of citizenship that is associated with consumerism. Using empirical examples, it will be argued that the image of the citizen in both case studies is guided by features of (i) individuality, (ii) rationality, and (iii) instrumentality. A critical reflection problematises these features in the context of higher education. Despite considerable issues with features of libertarian social citizenship in higher education, our results demonstrate the persistence of these features in policy reforms. This persistence can be understood as the embedding of libertarian values in social policies, which – even after the financial crisis of 2007 – manages to persist. The findings of this study contribute to the discussion in the literature on the implications of consumerism in social policy by analysing recent reforms through the lens of different conceptions of social citizenship. The conclusion ends with a recommendation for universities to counterbalance the individualistic focus fostered in the reforms by teaching values that go beyond the financial responsibilities of students.
Rainer Bauböck (ed.) Debating Transformations of National Citizenship, Springer, 2018
The contributions on cloud communities and citizenship in this blog raise both hopes and fears. T... more The contributions on cloud communities and citizenship in this blog raise both hopes and fears. The reality of an idea initially as outlandish as citizens of a digital cloud is materialising as we ponder and debate its practices. Political theory and the law must attempt to keep up with these rapidly changing circumstances. This comment raises some questions regarding three assumptions in this debate.
Marcelle Reneman & Yussef Al Tamimi, Identification of asylum seekers with special reception and procedural needs in the Dutch asylum procedure, VU Migration Law Series No 16, 2018., 2018
Social Identities. Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, 2020
In a judgment that attracted much media attention, the European Court of Human Rights (Court) rul... more In a judgment that attracted much media attention, the European Court of Human Rights (Court) ruled on 10 January 2017 that obligatory mixed-gender swimming for schoolgirls against the will of their Muslim parents did not violate the right to religious freedom, because the obligation was justified given its integration function. However, the applicants’ claim that such an obligation undermines their sense of belonging to Switzerland was left without reply in the government’s response and the Court’s judgment. This article asks whether and how the Court could have included the applicants’ ‘affective’ claim in its considerations on integration. More broadly, the article aims to discern the Court’s general approach to emotional claims of belonging and where it might be improved. It is argued, drawing from empirical findings in the social sciences, that there is a non-linear relation between different processes of integration. These findings show that while performing an act might improve someone’s cultural integration, it might diminish their emotional integration. The Court should be more aware of these complexities when using the term ‘integration’, as its current linear understanding of integration tends to overlook the importance of belonging.
Identity is a central theme in contemporary politics, but legal academia lacks a rigorous analysi... more Identity is a central theme in contemporary politics, but legal academia lacks a rigorous analysis of this concept. The aim of this article is twofold: (i) firstly, it aims to reveal presumptions on identity in human rights law by mapping how the European Court of Human Rights approaches identity and (ii) secondly, it seeks to analyse these presumptions using theoretical insights on identity. By merging legal and theoretical analysis, this article contributes a reading of the Court's case law which suggests that the tension between the political and apolitical is visible as a common thread in the Court's use of identity. In case law concerning paternity, the Court appears to hold a specific view of what is presented as an unquestionable part of identity. This ostensibly pre-political notion of identity becomes untenable in cases where the nature of an identity feature, such as the headscarf, is contended or a minority has adopted a national identity that conflicts with the majoritarian national identity. The Court's approach to identity in such cases reflects a paradox that is inherent to identity; identity is personal while simultaneously constituted and shaped by overarching power mechanisms.
P lusieurs chercheurs juristes ont noté que, ces dernières années, le raisonne-ment basé sur la v... more P lusieurs chercheurs juristes ont noté que, ces dernières années, le raisonne-ment basé sur la vulnérabilité joue un rôle de plus en plus important dans la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme. Pour tester cette hypothèse, cet article analyse tous les jugements qui contiennent les termes « vulnérabilité », « vulnérable » ou « vulnerable », totalisant 557 cas en janvier 2014. Ce large corpus permet une nouvelle analyse portant sur le rôle de la vulnérabilité dans la jurisprudence de la Cour. Une hausse de l'utilisation de raisonnement basé sur la vulnérabilité par la Cour est constatée : le terme a été utilisé dans 8 % du nombre total de jugements en 2013, partant de 2 % en 2007. Une solide analyse des jugements révèle que la Cour opère plusieurs distinctions entre différents types de vulnérabilité, et met en lumière cer-taines contradictions. La Cour est ambiguë dans la définition des catégories dites « vul-nérables », comme par exemple les victimes de droit pénal. Dans la dernière partie, il est avancé que la hausse de l'usage de raison-nements basée sur la vulnérabilité coïncide avec une approche active de la Cour dans la défense des groupes défavorisés. Le terme de vulnérabilité permet de définir les responsa-bilités et de réduire la marge d'appréciation des États. Abstract S everal legal authors have noted that, in
De ontkenning van het HvJ EU dat de Visumcode verplicht tot afgifte van een kort verblijf visum o... more De ontkenning van het HvJ EU dat de Visumcode verplicht tot afgifte van een kort verblijf visum op humanitaire gronden aan Syriërs, waarmee zij vervolgens een verzoek om internationale bescherming zouden kunnen indienen, is volgens Yussef Al Tamimi, Evelien Brouwer en Rosa Coene ‘zeer teleurstellend’. Zij schetsen het wettelijk kader en de praktijk inzake humanitaire visa en bekritiseren de motiveringen van het Hof, dat voor een andere uitleg van de Visumcode zou hebben kunnen kiezen. Ze wijzen ten slotte op mogelijkheden die nu nog open staan.
On 8 December 2016, the Belgian court submitted prejudicial questions to the Court of Justice of ... more On 8 December 2016, the Belgian court submitted prejudicial questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) concerning the issuing of humanitarian visas to a Christian Syrian family. The central question is whether international treaties and European Union law can oblige consuls and embassies of EU Member States to issue a humanitarian visa. This document will discuss developments in the European Union with regard to humanitarian visas, the interpretation of the Visa Code in light of the Schengen Borders Code, the entitlement of the Syrian family in this case to asylum protection, the conditions in Lebanon as a ‘safe third country’ and the argument that a positive judgment of the Court will open the ‘floodgates’.
De reden om over methodologie te schrijven in dit stuk is dat er in de scriptiebeoordeling op wor... more De reden om over methodologie te schrijven in dit stuk is dat er in de scriptiebeoordeling op wordt gehamerd, maar wij als juristen eigenlijk geen goed idee hebben wat methodologie betekent. Daar zal nog decennialang over worden gedebatteerd, dat zal zich niet zomaar oplossen. Waar het in de tussentijd om draait is dat jij in de methodologie kan verwoorden welke keuzes je maakt bij het onderzoeken en schrijven van je scriptie, en waarom. Dit stuk probeert het makkelijker voor je te maken om bij jezelf te achterhalen welke keuzes je aan het maken bent en waarom, zodat je de diepgang en reflectie die in de methodologie-beoordeling worden vereist kan opbrengen.
PAPER PRESENTED AT MANCEPT WORKSHOP FOR POLITICAL THEORY, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, 8 SEPTEMBER 2... more PAPER PRESENTED AT MANCEPT WORKSHOP FOR POLITICAL THEORY, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, 8 SEPTEMBER 2016
This comparative case study investigates elements of higher education consumerism in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Following a theory-driven analytical framework of different conceptions of social citizenship, it will examine how social citizenship is constructed in recent higher education funding policy reforms. Although the term ‘consumer’ is seldom mentioned explicitly in these reforms, the thematic analysis in this study suggests that the funding reforms promote features of a particular, libertarian conception of citizenship that is associated with consumerism. Using empirical examples, it will be argued that the image of the citizen in both case studies is guided by features of (i) individuality, (ii) rationality, and (iii) instrumentality. A critical reflection problematises these features in the context of higher education. Despite considerable issues with features of libertarian social citizenship in higher education, our results demonstrate the persistence of these features in policy reforms. This persistence can be understood as the embedding of libertarian values in social policies, which – even after the financial crisis of 2007 – manages to persist. The findings of this study contribute to the discussion in the literature on the implications of consumerism in social policy by analysing recent reforms through the lens of different conceptions of social citizenship. The conclusion ends with a recommendation for universities to counterbalance the individualistic focus fostered in the reforms by teaching values that go beyond the financial responsibilities of students.
Rainer Bauböck (ed.) Debating Transformations of National Citizenship, Springer, 2018
The contributions on cloud communities and citizenship in this blog raise both hopes and fears. T... more The contributions on cloud communities and citizenship in this blog raise both hopes and fears. The reality of an idea initially as outlandish as citizens of a digital cloud is materialising as we ponder and debate its practices. Political theory and the law must attempt to keep up with these rapidly changing circumstances. This comment raises some questions regarding three assumptions in this debate.
Marcelle Reneman & Yussef Al Tamimi, Identification of asylum seekers with special reception and procedural needs in the Dutch asylum procedure, VU Migration Law Series No 16, 2018., 2018
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This comparative case study investigates elements of higher education consumerism in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Following a theory-driven analytical framework of different conceptions of social citizenship, it will examine how social citizenship is constructed in recent higher education funding policy reforms. Although the term ‘consumer’ is seldom mentioned explicitly in these reforms, the thematic analysis in this study suggests that the funding reforms promote features of a particular, libertarian conception of citizenship that is associated with consumerism. Using empirical examples, it will be argued that the image of the citizen in both case studies is guided by features of (i) individuality, (ii) rationality, and (iii) instrumentality. A critical reflection problematises these features in the context of higher education. Despite considerable issues with features of libertarian social citizenship in higher education, our results demonstrate the persistence of these features in policy reforms. This persistence can be understood as the embedding of libertarian values in social policies, which – even after the financial crisis of 2007 – manages to persist. The findings of this study contribute to the discussion in the literature on the implications of consumerism in social policy by analysing recent reforms through the lens of different conceptions of social citizenship. The conclusion ends with a recommendation for universities to counterbalance the individualistic focus fostered in the reforms by teaching values that go beyond the financial responsibilities of students.
This comparative case study investigates elements of higher education consumerism in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Following a theory-driven analytical framework of different conceptions of social citizenship, it will examine how social citizenship is constructed in recent higher education funding policy reforms. Although the term ‘consumer’ is seldom mentioned explicitly in these reforms, the thematic analysis in this study suggests that the funding reforms promote features of a particular, libertarian conception of citizenship that is associated with consumerism. Using empirical examples, it will be argued that the image of the citizen in both case studies is guided by features of (i) individuality, (ii) rationality, and (iii) instrumentality. A critical reflection problematises these features in the context of higher education. Despite considerable issues with features of libertarian social citizenship in higher education, our results demonstrate the persistence of these features in policy reforms. This persistence can be understood as the embedding of libertarian values in social policies, which – even after the financial crisis of 2007 – manages to persist. The findings of this study contribute to the discussion in the literature on the implications of consumerism in social policy by analysing recent reforms through the lens of different conceptions of social citizenship. The conclusion ends with a recommendation for universities to counterbalance the individualistic focus fostered in the reforms by teaching values that go beyond the financial responsibilities of students.