Safe Zones and the Internal Protection Alternative

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Authors

NÍ GHRÁINNE Bríd

Year of publication 2020
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source International and Comparative Law Quarterly
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Law

Citation
Web Repozitář MU
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0020589320000019
Keywords public international law; safe zone; refugee law; asylum; Syria; Internal Protection Alternative; containment; Refugee Convention
Attached files
Description A ‘safe zone’ refers to an area established in armed conflict for the purposes of protecting civilians. This article provides the first legal analysis of whether safe zones can be invoked as a ground for refusing asylum. It examines the concept of the Internal Protection Alternative (IPA) which posits that an individual is not a refugee if there is a safe place within his/her country where he/she can relocate. It clarifies the applicable criteria in the IPA inquiry and uses three case studies to illustrate that safe zones can only qualify as lawful IPAs in exceptional circumstances.
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