Peculiar Leap in the Protection of Asylum Seekers: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights' Jurisprudence on the Protection of Asylum Seekers

Abstract

This article pursues to clarify the crucial contribution of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. It debates that the Court has instituted its renewed jurisprudence in the sphere of refuge throughout its case-law and advisory opinionsassociated with the safeguard of refugees, specifically the Court's direction towards affirming on the extended principles affiliating to asylum. The Inter-American Court went further than its European counterpart in interpreting regional and international asylum law. However, the actual protection of asylum seekers promoted by the Court is established on some controversial concepts like jus cogens norms and obligations egra omnes. Furthermore, the Court has an unclear vision concerning asylum and refuge. This may, therefore, curb the impact of a stronger humanrights-based approach to the protection of asylum seekers in Latin America.