Country Guidance, Country of Origin Information, and the International Protection Needs of Persons Fleeing Armed Conflicts

Abstract The article explores whether the European Union Agency for Asylum’s country guidance (CG) reflects international protection needs of persons fleeing armed conflicts. It uses Agency’s on Iraq as a case study through lens objectivity and relevance. highlights disproportionate reliance military State-centric sources which adopt traditional narrow concept security grounded in quantitative approaches. argues that main Country Origin Information used CG are inadequate to capture present-day nature violence situations conflict. makes re-balancing be included wider studies perspectives also suggests indicators indiscriminate by humanitarian law norms therefore fail reflect standards, whilst being contemporary use information adopting qualitative approaches encouraged other factors, such spheres control actors conflict, proposed inclusion into assessments.