Internally Displaced Persons and International Refugee Law

Internally Displaced Persons and International Refugee Law investigates the protection of internally displaced people in and beyond refugee law. * Silvia Steininger, Helga Molbæk-Steensig, European Journal of International Law * This book interrogates the relationship between international refugee law and the legal regime as it relates to IDPs, exploring synergies but also possible conflicts between the two areas of law. In addition to addressing timely debates, Dr Ní Ghráinne's book is noteworthy for its meticulous research and methodology. Ostensibly a refugee law scholar, Dr Ní Ghráinne is, I suspect, a Public International Law scholar at heart, and she brings an impressive doctrinal knowledge of that broader field to bear on her specialist area. Furthermore, she is alive to what States - and UNHCR - actually do, mindful of the importance of State practice in the formation of customary international law. In short, this book makes a significant contribution to knowledge and scholarship, filling the void in the literature on the precise relationship between international refugee law and the law relating to IDPs. * Dr Ciara Smyth, Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway * This is an excellent book that refreshes a first detailed analysis of the relationship between the protection of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and international refugee law. Dr Brid Ni Ghrainne must be congratulated for her unique scholarly approach... she provides a sophisticated analysis of the legal and normative relationship between IDPs and refugees, of the extent to which an individual's real risk of internal displacement in their country of origin is relevant to the qualification and cessation of refugee status, and whether the availability of IDP protection may entail an alternative to asylum. * Chaloka Beyani, London School of Economics, former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons 2010-2016, and former member of the Expert Advisory Group to the UN Secretary General's High Level Panel on Internal Displacement 2019-2021 * Ever since internal displacement emerged as a significant concern on the international agenda, refugee advocates and proponents of increased protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs) have grappled with the thorny question of the relationship between refugees and IDPs, and whether strengthened efforts in support of IDPs pose a risk to refugee protection. Through clear and compelling legal analysis, Bríd Ní Ghráinne illuminates the implications of international refugee law for those uprooted within their own countries, convincingly demonstrating that the international frameworks developed since the 1990s to protect IDPs do not undermine refugee law. This book is essential reading for anyone concerned about the protection of those forced from their homes, whether they be refugees or internally displaced persons. * Megan Bradley, Associate Professor and William Dawson Scholar, Political Science and International Development Studies, McGill University * While internally displaced persons and refugees often face similar challenges, they differ fundamentally in legal terms. While the latter enjoy international protection, the former remain subject to the jurisdiction of their own government. Bríd Ní Ghráinne's original study of the relationship between refugee law and the evolving legal regime pertaining to IDPs fills an important gap. It is a highly relevant contribution not only to the study of UNHCR's mandate and the interpretation of the 1951 Refugee Convention but also to the still under-researched field of internal displacement. * Walter Kälin, professor emeritus of constitutional and international law, University of Bern, and former Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons * This is an exceptional piece of legal scholarship dealing with one of the most important global issues of our time. It presents an incisive and thoughtful critique of the inter-relationship between the emerging law of internal displacement and the more established field of refugee law. It is no small feat to effectively present such a discussion in an accessible manner, yet Dr Ní Ghráinne masterfully achieves this. It is a fascinating, thought-provoking, and highly-recommended read, which speaks not only to law but also to how we define, value and protect human life. * Dr Ben Hudson, Lecturer in Law, University of Exeter * This monograph is an important milestone in the study of internally displaced persons' (IDP) protection. Ní Ghráinne's book brilliantly helps us understand how the legal and institutional framework of IDP protection has developed and interacts with international refugee law, complementary protection, and the internal flight alternative. She convincingly demonstrates that the increase in IDP protection does not, as a matter of law, undermine refugee protection. Given its extremely insightful, thorough, and documented analysis, this monograph will certainly become an indispensable point of reference for anyone following IDP policies and, more generally, international refugee law. * Madalina Moraru, part-time Assistant Professor, Centre for Judicial Cooperation of the European University Institute, Florence, and co-director of the Centre for Migration Studies, Masaryk University, Brno *