General definition of refugee under international law
A refugee under 1951 Refugee Convention: a person who "owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of [their] nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail [themself] of the protection of that country."
Regional protection
Notably the two enforce include people forced to leave by “external aggression, occupation, foreign domination, internal conflicts, massive violation of human rights or events seriously disturbing public order”.
Subject searches on SOLO
International refugee law
Refugees legal status, laws etc + name of jurisdiction (might help with domestic implementation of international law norms)
Works with shelf marks beginning Internat 570 are on Level 3 of the Law Bod.
SOLO searches will also find books held by our neighbouring library the Bodleian Social Science Library
The Oxford Handbook of International Refugee Law by 
The Refugee in International Law by 
The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and Its 1967 Protocol: A Commentary by 
The Refugee Definition in International Law by 
The Rights of Refugees under International Law by 
International Refugee Law and the Protection of Stateless Persons by 
The Regional Law of Refugee Protection in Africa by Specific subject search to use in SOLO is
Asylum, Right of
although most works on refugee law generally would probably include a chapter about it.
Works with shelf marks beginning Internat 570 are on Level 3 of the Law Bod.
SOLO searches will also find books held by our neighbouring library the Bodleian Social Science Library
Research handbook on asylum and refugee policy by 
Global Governance on the Ground : organizing international migration and asylum at the border by Open access available to all with access to the internet:
Between Protection and Harm Negotiated Vulnerabilities in Asylum Laws and Bureaucracies by This specifically addressed in the 1951 convention
Art. 33 No Contracting State shall expel or return (“refouler”) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
1951 Refugee Convention
But legal arguments against the return of refugees can be made based on later human rights treaties such as
Art. 3 (1) [n]o State Party shall expel, return (‘refouler’) or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.
Art. 3 (2) [f]or the purpose of determining whether there are such grounds, the competent authorities shall take into account all relevant considerations including, where applicable, the existence in the State concerned of a consistent pattern of gross, flagrant or mass violations of human rights.
UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
European Convention on Human Rights article 3 provides absolute protection against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Non-Refoulement under the European Convention on Human Rights and the un Convention Against Torture by 
Human Rights and the Refugee Definition : comparative legal practice and theory by 
Frontex and Non-Refoulement : the international responsibility of the EU by 
Asylum Matters On the Front Line of Administrative Decision-Making by