Humanitarian spill-over: the expansion of hybrid humanitarian governance from camps to refugee hosting societies in East Africa

Abstract

The impact and effects of protracted refugee camps on their host environments in East Africa has been the subject of much academic attention since the late 1990s. Such camps are often viewed as exclusionary spaces that isolate refugees from their host societies. Recent analyses, however, posit such camps as hybrid spaces, with fluid boundaries, that provide socio-economic opportunities and are potential drivers of development. Less thinking has gone into how forms of (humanitarian) governance emanate from such camps and impact their host environments. This paper is based on ethnographic research in and around refugee camps in Kenya and Tanzania. Grounded in a spatial analysis of camp development processes, this paper explores the notion of 'humanitarian spill-over'. It argues that camps' specific governmental processes and bureaucratic power come to cogovern and co-shape socio-spatial relations beyond the boundaries of the camp and the initial targets of humanitarian concern. By analysing the socio-spatial effects of long-term humanitarian governance, this paper contributes to, debates about camps as hybrid spaces and locates experiments with developmental approaches to camp environments in East Africa in a history of a more organic process of spill-over. We show how the spill-over is increasingly posited as intention rather than effect.

Humanitarian surgical service utilization by a host country population: comparing surgery patterns between refugees and Tanzanians using an interrupted time-series analysis

“…Firstly, scholars have suggested that when large influxes of refugees occur, there is a type of “humanitarian spill over” that can both positively and negatively affect host communities [ 23 , 24 ]. Our study supports this theory given the significant utilization of surgical services in Nyarugusu refugee camp by Tanzanians.…”

Refugee Entrepreneurship

“…The current approach to refugee management heavily relies on ensuring they are encamped, and given their basic needs. This is an ongoing policy both in Kenya and other East African countries (Jansen, B. J. & de Bruijne, 2020) This formula stunts their development, and as a result, it is necessary to review this strategy with not only the aim of harnessing talents and skills, ensuring refugee self-reliance, but also integration and socio-economic inclusion for refugees, and the benefits such a position would bring to the host community and the host country, Kenya as a whole (Alix-Garcia et al, 2018;Betts, 2021).…”