Humanization of the Law of the Sea in light of the Principle of Non-Refoulement: The Hirsi Jamaa Case

The abuse of human rights at sea is a critical problem that has often been ignored. Since violation of human rights at sea is not as tangible as it is on land, it has not received enough  attention from the international community. Governments are certainly committed to respecting human rights within their territories including their territorial waters, but there are no clear rules about protecting human rights in other marine areas especialy the high seas.On the other hand,  due to the expansion of marine activities, there might emerge a conflict between the law of the sea and other fields of international law especially human rights law. The contrast between human rights and the law of the sea can be seen as an opportunity for developing international law in order to stregthen the rule of law. Human rights and the law of the sea are connected in many cases. The Hirsi Jamaa case is a notable example. The Law of the Sea aims to govern uses of the sea, but the purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the individual and the state in the maritime space, and thus the humanization of the law of the sea.