Temporary Refuge as a Response to Large - Scale Refugee Influxes

Abstract

This thesis analyses the concept and practice of temporary refuge in relation to large-scale refugee influxes. It combines contextual and legal analyses and examines the topic lex lata. It presents a unique insight into the topic by critically considering some conventional assumptions in the field, and represents one of the few academic efforts to attempt to offer answers to long-standing questions such as, what is temporary refuge? and what is its relation with the 1951 Refugee Convention? By examining the practice and the doctrine of temporary refuge in context, this thesis sketches the bigger picture of refugee law norms and their interlocked nature during large-scale refugee situations. The thesis offers an original analysis of the contours of international cooperation during large-scale refugee influxes and its legal status under international law. It approaches refugee law in a different way, placing the concept of international cooperation at its heart.