ABSTRACT
Brazil has been committed to International Refugee Law since the 1950s. For much of this period, however, the country was under a dictatorship which made the implementation of refugee protection precarious, although refugees and asylum seekers could count on the assistance of UNHCR and its implementing partners—NGOs connected to the Catholic Church which remain partners of UNHCR till today. Following re-democratization, Brazil has not only passed a specific law on refugees, but has evolved to become a resettlement country. These changes have led Brazil to be regarded as a model in refugee protection in South America. This paper aims to assess whether or not Brazil is fulfilling the said role by describing the evolution of refugee law and protection in the country.
