Focusing on the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees, this book is a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of international refugee law. Different chapters examine: the definition of a `refugee'; the law of asylum; the role of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees; humanitarian assistance; gender issues and refugee children; laws governing state responsibility; internally displaced people; and the range of available solutions. With numerous case study examples, including a postscript on Kosovo, this Reader is the definitive source on laws, practices and issues in refugee matters.