Political exile occurs when a person is forced to leave his or her home country, or in some cases voluntarily chooses to live abroad for political reasons. The proximate cause may be persecution for belonging to a certain ethnic group or social class, but in many cases it is the result of political conflicts that involve power struggles and struggle for the control of political territory. Exile is therefore often a form of punishment, but it can also be an effective strategy for those who seek to gain control over a political territory. This can be seen in Napoleon’s first exile to the island of Elba after his abdication but later escape to reclaim power, or more recently in the case of the exile of the 14th Dalai Lama from Tibet to India after the Third Anglo-Burmese War.

Governments in exile are a particular phenomenon that has arisen during periods of foreign occupation, revolutions and coups d’état. They usually consist of a group of exiled persons who proclaim themselves the legitimate government of a country and are recognized as such by States. These governments have a broad range of powers including the command of armed forces, representation in inter-State forums and diplomatic immunities.

Governments in exile are a peculiarity of State practice and as such their status is subject to varying interpretations. Nevertheless they are still a feature of contemporary world politics. As such, it is crucial to understand their role in international law and in global politics.