The Refugee in International Law

This book represents an exciting new contribution to the field of refugee law and human rights law. It considers the legal obligations which countries have to people who do not meet the legal definition of a 'refugee', but who have nonetheless been forcibly displaced from their homes, whether due to war, generalized violence, humanitarian disaster or torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. This is known as 'complementary protection', because it complements the central international instrument in this area, the 1951 Refugee Convention. The book analyses international human rights law to discern where such legal obligations to protect might arise, and considers the legal status which countries ought to provide to such people. It provides a comprehensive overview of States' current responses to this issue, and offers original and thoughtful suggestions for protecting such persons within the international legal framework.