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The right to homeland is according to some legal scholars a universal human right, which is derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including its Article 9.^[1]^[2] The concept evolved in German jurisprudence and is recognized in German constitutional law to a certain degree. Notable proponents of the concept include legal scholars Kurl Rabl, Rudolf Laun, Otto Kimminich, Dieter Blumenwitz, Felix Ermacora and Alfred-Maurice de Zayas. The concept is relevant to debates concerning ethnic cleansing in Europe after World War II (notably of Germans and Hungarians), ethnic cleansing in Palestine, Cyprus and other areas.

In migration studies, sociologist Cenk Saraçoğlu has proposed the right to homeland as a framework for addressing forced displacement, emphasizing people's collective capacity to shape the social conditions of the places where they live and work.^[3] His approach connects displacement to broader processes of dispossession and presents the right to homeland as a basis for shared political claims across the citizen–refugee divide.

References

↑ de Zayas, Alfred-Maurice (1975). "International Law and Mass Population Transfers". Harvard International Law Journal: 207–258.
↑ de Zayas, Alfred-Maurice (1996). "The Right to One's Homeland, Ethnic Cleansing and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia". Criminal Law Journal.
↑ Saracoglu, Cenk (2026). "Beyond the freedom of movement: rethinking the global migration regime through the right to homeland". www.tandfonline.com. doi:10.1080/14747731.2026.2662803. Retrieved 2026-10-19.

[1] Zayas, Alfred-Maurice (1975). "International Law and Mass Population Transfers". Harvard International Law Journal: 207–258.

[2] Zayas, Alfred-Maurice (1996). "The Right to One's Homeland, Ethnic Cleansing and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia". Criminal Law Journal.

[3] Saracoglu, Cenk (2026). "Beyond the freedom of movement: rethinking the global migration regime through the right to homeland". www.tandfonline.com. doi:10.1080/14747731.2026.2662803. Retrieved 2026-10-19.

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Substantive human rights
What is considered a human right is in some cases controversial; not all the topics listed are universally accepted as human rights
Civil and political	Equality before the law Freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention Freedom of assembly Freedom of association Cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment Freedom from discrimination Freedom of information Freedom of movement Freedom of religion Freedom from slavery Freedom of speech Freedom of thought Freedom from torture LGBTQ rights (Transgender rights) Liberty Nationality Personhood Presumption of innocence Access to justice Right of asylum Right to die Right to a fair trial Right to counsel Right to family life Right to keep and bear arms Right to life Right to petition Right to privacy Right to protest Right to refuse medical treatment Right to resist Right of return Right of self-defense Right to truth Security of person Speedy trial Suffrage right to be a candidate Right to homeland
Economic, social and cultural	Digital rights Equal pay for equal work Fair remuneration Labor rights Right to an adequate standard of living Right to clothing Right to development Right to education Right to food Right to health Right to a healthy environment Right to housing Right to Internet access Right to property Right to public participation Right of reply Right to rest and leisure Right of return Right to science and culture Right to social security Right to water Right to work
Sexual and reproductive	Abortion Family planning Family rights Freedom from involuntary female genital mutilation Freedom from forced circumcision Intersex human rights LGBTQ rights Sexual and reproductive health Transgender rights

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See also

References