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Guide to refugee law in Australia

Access our guide to refugee law in Australia on this page.

How to use

The guide includes 12 chapters and an introduction which are available as accessible PDFs.

In the table below, you can access the full PDF chapter by clicking the link in the 'Chapter' column. The links in the right 'Topic' column go directly to specific sections of each PDF chapter.

Guide to refugee law in Australia

ChapterTopic
Introduction [PDF, 204 KB]Introduction to the Guide to refugee law in Australia
Chapter 1 - Protection visas [PDF, 523 KB]The statutory context
The protection visa scheme
Persons in respect of whom Australia has protection obligations
Interpretative principles
Chapter 2 - Country of reference [PDF, 468 KB]Introduction to Chapter 2 - Country of reference
Country of reference - the Refugees Convention
Country of reference under the Migration Act
Determining the country of reference
Chapter 3 - Well-founded fear [PDF, 509 KB]Introduction to Chapter 3 - Well-founded fear
'Well-founded fear' under the Refugees Convention
'Well-founded fear' under section 5J of the Act
Chapter 4 - Persecution [PDF, 411 KB]Introduction to Chapter 4 - Persecution
Serious harm
Systematic and discriminatory conduct
Other issues
Chapter 5 - Refugee grounds and nexus [PDF, 627 KB]Introduction to Chapter 5 - Refugee grounds and nexus
'For reasons of...'
The refugee grounds
Chapter 6 - Relocation [PDF, 397 KB]Introduction to Chapter 6 - Relocation
The relocation principle
Applying the relocation test
Chapter 7 - Exclusion and cessation [PDF, 790 KB]Introduction to Chapter 7 - Exclusion and cessation
Jurisdictional issues
Article 1C
Article 1D
Article 1E
Article 1F
Articles 32 and 33(2)
Chapter 8 - State protection [PDF, 422 KB]Introduction to Chapter 8 - State protection
State protection under the Convention
Protection under section 5H of the Act
Chapter 9 - Third country protection [PDF, 383 KB]Introduction to Chapter 9 - Third country protection
The statutory qualification to 'protection obligations'
Chapter 10 - Complementary protection [PDF, 538 KB]Introduction to Chapter 10 - Complementary protection
Assessing claims under section 36(2)(aa)
Receiving country
Assessing the risk of harm
Significant harm
Circumstances in which there is taken not to be a real risk
Protection of a third country
Ineligibility for grant of a protection visa
Chapter 11 - Application of the Refugees Convention in particular situations [PDF, 599 KB]Introduction to Chapter 11 - Application of the Refugees Convention in particular situations
Failure to adhere to basic standards of human rights
Civil disturbances
Laws and law enforcement
Self expression and suppression of opinions, beliefs and identity
Claims arising from personal and family relationships
Criminal conduct
Land dispossession
Vulnerability
Chapter 12 - Merits review of protection related decisions [PDF, 311 KB]Introduction to Chapter 12 - Merits review of protection related decisions
The Tribunal's jurisdiction
Special provisions for reviewable protection decisions