This paper represents a holistic study of the multifaceted notion of stranded migrants, which has gained renewed attention since the Arab Spring. This paper analyses the notion from a historical perspective, interrelated with a survey of the situation on the ground, and a review of the various conceptions proposed by the main actors (including IOM and UNHCR). The paper then focuses on the vulnerability of stranded migrants as a way of identifying their basic needs and providing a cogent frame of protection