ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of humanitarian visas within the international protection system. Humanitarian visas may offer a middle ground between states’ interests in migration control and the urgent need for safe, regular pathways to protection for individuals at risk. In this context, the chapter examines the significance of the two 2018 UN Global Compacts – the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. As soft law instruments, both Compacts have the potential to shape the development of humanitarian visa schemes by fostering safe access to protection. They reflect a renewed commitment to international solidarity and cooperation, and together they broaden the scope of protection to include not only refugees under the 1951 Convention but also those displaced by natural disasters and climate change. The chapter finds that humanitarian visas, supported by the normative frameworks of the Global Compacts, can serve as practical tools for enhancing protection pathways in unlocking a more inclusive and coordinated international response.
