Developments in international law in the field of asylum, including the development of regional legal and institutional frameworks, have resulted in an increasing complexity and fragmentation that deserves revisiting. In this view, this Special Issue of the Refugee Survey Quarterly enquires into the role of international organizations and international human rights monitoring bodies in the protection of refugees. Despite the lack of an explicit mandate to receive communications from individuals regarding their immigration status, these monitoring bodies have developed a sound body of case-law on the rights of non-nationals in relation to the entry and stay, as well as non-removal from their countries of asylum. Their work in fact suggests that we may be witnessing a change in paradigm as international human rights law evolves beyond the prohibition of refoulement into the positive obligations of States. This has the potential for opening new ways for studying refugee protection under international law in a holistic manner. © Author(s) [2015].

International human rights monitoring bodies International human rights law Refugee protection UNHCR

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