Should I Stay or Should I go? National Identity and Attitudes Towards Local Integration Among Liberian Refugees in Ghana

Byrne, Jennifer

doi:10.1093/rsq/hds020

Cited by 9 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Returning remains an aim but because of the painful memories and the lingering fear of persecution and insecurity, waiting for a total calm back home is a necessity. Nevertheless, of the available solutions identified in refugee literature [ 35 ], the present study participants did not mention the resettlement in other countries as a possible pathway.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Such participation —if it exists— is fundamental for more sustainable and responsive projects [ 23 , 33 ]. Those who have looked inside refugee camps have traditionally focused on protest for self-governing [ 32 , 34 , 35 ]. Hence, researchers have overlooked the powerful benefits of refugees’ voice in policy and program development processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Critical assessment of refugees’ needs in post-emergency context: the case of Malian war refugees settled in Northern Burkina Faso

Beogo

Darboe

Adesanya³

et al. 2018

BMC Int Health Hum Rights

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BackgroundEmpirically assessing the needs of refugees in camps is critical to the improvement of existing policies and programs that aim at enhancing their well-being. By neglecting the needs of refugees, interventions may fail to capture the complex patterns of refugees’ daily lives within camps. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the needs of encamped Malian refugees in Northern Burkina Faso following the 2012-armed conflict. In addition to assessing the needs of Malian refugees, the study aimed to critically assess from an upstream perspective the degree of their involvement in policies and practices that are targeted towards improving their livelihood.MethodsWe took an “upstream” view on the lives of Malian refugees to identify their unmet needs. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to collect data from various media sources, including data aggregated from the website of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The most populous refugee camp (Mentao) was visited in September 2012 and in-depth group discussion and interviews were conducted with key informants, including nine camp representatives and four officials from the central and decentralized administrations.ResultsMedia canvass combined with the UNHCR level 2 census revealed a flawed headcount of refugees, which was 205.4% higher than the real number in Burkina Faso. Although refugees live harmoniously with the natives and their security has been assured, they strongly complained about the number of unused food items distributed. Camps were distributed among humanitarian organizations leading to differential advantage and resources from one camp to another. Additionally, idleness, lack of classrooms facilities for pre-school children and lack of continuous healthcare services were major concerns raised. Further, refugees expressed limited involvement in the planning and implementation of programs that are related to their welfare.ConclusionThis study revealed that refugees’ voices were not taken into consideration in making tailor-made programs. This calls for more comprehensive surge capacity to deal with refugees’ basic needs. Further, a strong leadership from hoststate should be encouraged to offer equal opportunities to refugees regardless of their camps. Finally, an innovative strategy is needed to build a reliable database that could enhance the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical assessment of refugees’ needs in post-emergency context: the case of Malian war refugees settled in Northern Burkina Faso

Beogo

Darboe

Adesanya³

et al. 2018

BMC Int Health Hum Rights

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…As local integration became a reality, residents began to feel anxious over the political power that the Liberians would wield upon being legally integrated, and overall resentment loomed at the prospect of host country resources being devoted to the Liberian refugees to help them locally integrate (Agblorti ). Many Liberians expressed opposition to local integration because they feared discrimination, expressed concern about the economic opportunities available in Ghana, and felt that their identity as Liberians was incompatible with the communal culture of the Ghanaians (Byrne ). Thus Liberians refugees found themselves in a situation where humanitarian aid was severely limited or unavailable, unfavorable conditions existed for establishing a living in their host country, and financial and emotional impediments to repatriation prevented many from making the journey back to Liberia.…”

Section: A Brief History Of Buduburam Liberian Refugee Campmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, much gratitude goes to the three anonymous reviewers at Politics & Policy who gave very insightful feedback on multiple drafts of this paper. This article expands and develops on the details and analysis in Jennifer Byrne (), “Should I Stay or Should I Go? National Identity and Attitudes towards Local Integration Among Liberian Refugees in Ghana.” Refugee Survey Quarterly 32 (1).…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In addition, the recognition of a shared refugee status, and perceptions of difference between Liberians and Ghanaians, played key roles in shaping and sustaining a unified identity among the Liberian refugees at Buduburam. Although there has been some research on the content of Liberian national identity, this inquiry builds upon this body of work by examining how identity evolves in the context of a protracted refugee situation (Byrne ).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Contextual Identity among Liberian Refugees in Ghana: Identity Salience in a Protracted Refugee Situation

Byrne

2016

Politics & Policy

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The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a protracted refugee situation on identity among Liberian refugees in Ghana. A strong national identity was observed among Liberians within the context of Buduburam Refugee Camp, despite previous ethnic divisions in their home country during the two Liberian civil wars. According to social identity theory, individuals may hold several identities at one time, but the expression of these identities are dependent on context. Using a grounded theory approach, I find three theoretical explanations for this phenomenon. Three identity primes heightened the salience of being Liberian. First, identity discontinuity resulting from trauma focused awareness on shared past experiences, creating a shared generational identity among residents at Buduburam. Second, a shared refugee status, and third, shared perceptions of difference between the Liberians and Ghanaians, played key roles in activating and sustaining a collective national identity among Liberian refugees in Ghana. Related Articles Related Media Buduburam. n.d. “Home for Homeless People.” http://buduburam.com/ CCTV Africa. 2014. “Liberian Refugees in Ghana.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k85CJe5JWAw

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‘Hanging in the Air’: The Experiences of Liberian Refugees in Ghana

Crawley

Bruey

2022

IMISCOE Research Series

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The civil wars that devastated Liberia between 1989 and 2003 displaced an estimated 800,000 people internally, with more than a million people travelling to neighbouring countries in West Africa in search of protection and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. More than 15 years after the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed, tens of thousands of Liberians continue to be displaced in Liberia, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire. Whilst some have been resettled – primarily to Canada, the US, Australia, and European countries – most have been left ‘hanging in the air’, living in extreme poverty, marginalised from mainstream development policies and planning, and unable to either contribute to, or benefit from, efforts to rebuild peace and security in their home country. Their needs, interests and aspirations have been largely ignored by academics and policymakers in the Global North whose focus, particularly over recent years, has been primarily on the drivers of migration from West Africa across the Mediterranean to Europe. At a regional level, there have been efforts by the Economic Committee of West African States (ECOWAS) to provide alternative models of integration, particularly since the United Nations High Commissioner Refugees (UNHCR) announced the cessation of refugee status for Liberian refugees in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in June 2012. However, significant barriers to both local integration and safe-third country resettlement remain. This chapter examines the experiences of Liberian refugees living in Ghana and their struggles to secure national and international protection in a context where returning to Liberia remains impossible for many.

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Should I Stay or Should I go? National Identity and Attitudes Towards Local Integration Among Liberian Refugees in Ghana

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Critical assessment of refugees’ needs in post-emergency context: the case of Malian war refugees settled in Northern Burkina Faso

Critical assessment of refugees’ needs in post-emergency context: the case of Malian war refugees settled in Northern Burkina Faso

Contextual Identity among Liberian Refugees in Ghana: Identity Salience in a Protracted Refugee Situation

‘Hanging in the Air’: The Experiences of Liberian Refugees in Ghana

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