The situation of refugees is now one of the most pressing and urgent problems facing the international community and refugee law has grown in recent years to a subject of global importance. In this long-awaited second edition, each chapter has been thoroughly revised and updated and every issue, old and new, has received fresh analysis. Features of this new edition include: extensive additional annexes; coverage of new subjects, including internally displaced persons; so-called preventive protection; access to refugees; safety of refugees and relief personnel; the situation of refugee women and children; a detailed examination of the role of the UNHCR; an assessment of the protection possibilities (or lack of them) in the European Convention on Human Rights, and the current situation and possible future problems for Palestinians and emphasis on the decision-making process.