Repatriation: Under What Conditions Is It the Most Desirable Solution for Refugees? An Agenda for Research

Abstract

…What excites me…is the presence of refugees amongst us who have arrived here straight from refugee camps. It strikes me as quite extraordinary that we should be hailing this as such an innovation. But innovation it is. I would hope that experts will never again have the effrontery to sit down together to discuss refugees without refugees being present, but I doubt it. Refugee work remains, perhaps, the last bastion of the ultra-paternalistic approach to aid and development. It is hard to think of another area where the blinkered nonsense of the “we know what's best for them” approach survives so unchallenged. Mark Malloch-Brown, as quoted in Harrell-Bond and Karadawi (1984) I believe that if you want political action, you must get governments together. Their deliberations will be the springboard for action. In my opinion, it is quite unrealistic to expect them to meet together with individual refugees (or groups representing refugees) and NGOs [non-governmental organizations]. Where the adoption of recommendations for political action is concerned, it does not work like that. Eagles don't consort with sparrows. It's a law of nature. Anon. …Thanks for your copy of the [above] letter. Eagles: birds of prey, prone to wander alone, high above the world of everyday events, remote, lofty and unadapted to human civilisation. Sparrows: friendly, sunny, engaged birds, spending time in social intercourse, feet on the ground, contributing to variety of life and human happiness. Of the three “durable” solutions to refugee situations—voluntary repatriation, integration, and resettlement—the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) proclaims voluntary repatriation to be the most desirable.

Temporary labour migration and sustainable post-conflict return in Sierra Leone

“…Of the three 'durable outcomes' of refugee movements, the voluntary return of displaced persons to their areas of origin has for many years been preferred by the international community, rather than long-term re-settlement of refugees elsewhere (Harrell-Bond 1989;Rogge and Akol 1989). For the UNHCR, voluntary repatriation is seen as the most 'durable solution' for refugee crises, arguing that a homecoming for those forced to flee their home areas during armed conflict offers the most sustainable opportunity to rebuild livelihoods.…”

Deportation and forced return

“…The focus of the states of the Global North, expressed through UNHCR policy, moved from an emphasis on resettlement (1945-85), essential for those who could not return home and who would provide a much-needed supplement to the North's post-war depleted national labour forces, to repatriation (1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998), the preferred durable solution for states in the Global North unable to halt the arrival of refugees from the Global South. As described by Chimni, that second phase saw a shift from voluntary to forced repatriation, in spite of arguments such as Malkki's (1995) and Harrell-Bond's (1989 ) that there was no research to suggest that repatriation was possible or appropriate for most refugees. Chimni suggests that an idealized image of repatriation, of return, was used to legitimize what were in effect forced returns, as many refugees did not in fact volunteer to return, having created new homes in exile.…”

Humanitarianism with a Sovereign Face: UNHCR in the Global Undertow

“…And they expected an understanding UNHCR to play ball, which it did for a variety of reasons (Loesch-er, 1989:lO). First, the growing number of refugees was creating a financial crisis for UNHCR who, in turn, became quite interested in reducing the increasingly expensive and numerous refugee camps (Pitterman, 1985:5 1-54; see also Gordeneker, 198 1 :78;Harrell-Bond, 1989: 50-5 1 ; Stein, 1986: 279).…”