The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has emphasized the idea of 'preventive protection,' by which she means seeking to attenuate the causes of displacement, so that persons will be allowed to remain in safety and dignity in their homes. While the principle is laudable, in practice-as evidenced in recent developments in Bosnia and Hercegovina-the UNHCR, when positioned at the point where human rights abuses are causing displacement, has not been able to prevent refugee flows from occurring. Nevertheless, surrounding countries, in this case, Croatia, are closing their borders to would-be refugees, and legitimizing their actions, in part, by interpreting the concept of 'preventive protection' in their own terms, that is, to protect themselves from the flow of refugees. Because it is prone to misinterpretation and manipulation by governments, the author suggests that UNHCR discontinue use of the term 'preventive protection.'. © 1992 Oxford University Press.

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