Refugee Law

Overviews of the international framework, the definition of "refugee," and the asylum process.

Overview of basic principles and legal norms. Covers international, regional, and selected domestic norms.

A brief introduction to refugee law, with lots of links to core texts and selected articles. From the Forced Migration Current Awareness blog.

An "introduction to the complex idea of 'the refugee', setting the current European crisis within the wider history of human exile and displaced peoples." Presented by Prof. William Maley, ANU.

A brief but scholarly introduction to refugee law from the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law. [For off-campus access, use your MyUSF sign-in.] [On-campus link for Refugees - Dieter Kugelmann (2010).]

Full PDF text of the chief international treaty governing refugee issues, plus background and frequently-asked questions. From the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Introduction (by Guy S. Goodwin-Gill); treaty text and other documents; procedural history; current status information; audio; images. From the U.N. "Audiovisual Library of International Law."

An "in‐depth analysis of each and every provision of the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol." Includes citations to books, articles, U.N. documents, judicial decision, and more. Edited by Andreas Zimmermann. [For off-campus access, use your MyUSF sign-in. For the print version, see K 3230 .R45 A132 2011 Law Stacks.] [On-campus link for 1951 Convention Re: Status of Refugees & 1967 Protocol: A Commentary.]

The United Nations agency "mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people."

"A high-level plenary meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants. To be held on September 19, 2016.

An IGO with 165 state members, the IMO " works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people." Its site includes news, in-depth studies, statistics, and more.

World Bank resources — studies, data, analysis, events — on refugees, internally displaced persons and asylum seekers.

The home page of the "high-level plenary meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants" held on September 19, 2016. Video of sessions is available.

Preparatory documents for the summit, including the Draft Outcome.

Outcome document negotiated in advance of the U.N. Summit for Refugees held on Sept. 19, 2016

Most of the sources collected here followed and reported on the September 2016 U.N. Summit for Refugees.

Analysis and resources on the two 2016 summits on refugees: the United Nations Summit for Refugees and the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees. (A project of Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the Univ. of New South Wales.)

Free access to "articles from Journal of Refugee Studies that may help inform changes to some of the most fundamental failings of the international protection regime."

Reports, news, and studies on refugees and migrants.

Background information, news, and reports.

HRW's Refugee Rights Program "defends the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people worldwide."

Monitors and provides information and statistics on internal displacement.

Advocacy for and information about migrants and refugees. The site includes research and reports.