søndag 14. mars 2010


Commenting on the need to test the hypothesis assuming that all refugees desire to return home, Chimni (1999) cites several studies which have found out situations in which refugees may or may not want to return. These include, among others, the passage of time; the reluctance of 2nd generation refugees to return to a home they may know little about; the transformed meaning of home to individuals and groups profoundly affected by exile; and the idea of a nostalgic homeland as compared to a home which meets practical and security needs. These could well make return an unattractive choice.






In situations of protracted displacement when refugees have spent many years in exile, their choice of solution is usually informed by more than a nostalgic claim to their homeland or to a “cozy romanticized home” to which one must necessarily return. In fact many of the refugees did not consider return and/or repatriation as a viable option either now or in the near future.






Prominent among the reasons cited was the fear of return for security reasons, especially among women. These fears were mostly in relation to the persecution engendered by their work and/or position in the society prior to the war. An important factor explaining why many do not consider return and/or reintegration as an option in the long term, however, is the hope of resettlement. In so far as the latter is ongoing in the camp, the refugees continue clinging to the belief that it is very much a possibility even if the reality points to the contrary.
 


 

Return, Integration or Resettlement?

Commenting on the need to test the hypothesis assuming that all refugees desire to return home, Chimni (1999) cites several studies which have found out situations in which refugees may or may not want to return. These include, among others, the passage of time; the reluctance of 2nd generation refugees to return to a home they may know little about; the transformed meaning of home to individuals and groups profoundly affected by exile; and the idea of a nostalgic homeland as compared to a home which meets practical and security needs. These could well make return an unattractive choice.



In situations of protracted displacement when refugees have spent many years in exile, their choice of solution is usually informed by more than a nostalgic claim to their homeland or to a “cozy romanticized home” to which one must necessarily return. In fact many of the refugees did not consider return and/or repatriation as a viable option either now or in the near future.



Prominent among the reasons cited was the fear of return for security reasons, especially among women. These fears were mostly in relation to the persecution engendered by their work and/or position in the society prior to the war. An important factor explaining why many do not consider return and/or reintegration as an option in the long term, however, is the hope of resettlement. In so far as the latter is ongoing in the camp, the refugees continue clinging to the belief that it is very much a possibility even if the reality points to the contrary.

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