Questioning Temporary Protection

The concept of temporary protection has acquired new significance in international discourse, particularly since discussions began on a Comprehensive Response to the Humanitarian Crisis in Former Yugoslavia. The rationale for the practice included the desirability of providing protection against refoulement and respect for fundamental human rights while awaiting return following an expected political solution, and at the same time to avoid overwhelming the national refugee status procedures. The author of this introduction and bibliography recalls that admitting refugees on a temporary basis in situations of large-scale influx is not new, but notes that current analysis seems not to question either the basic premises, or the coupling of the terms ‘temporary’ and ‘protection’. In addition, earlier elaboration of temporary refuge does not seem to have been taken into account. She raises a number of questions in this context, and provides a selected bibliography to show where information on temporary refuge can be found. The bibliography in turn draws on the refugee literature database REFLIT of the UNHCR Centre for Documentation on Refugees (CDR)