REFUGEES AND DEVELOPMENT AFRICA

REFUGEES AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Notes from an on-going research project

by

Mekuria Bulcha Gaim Kibreab Peter Nobel Michael St a hl

Uppsala, October 1983

Scandinavian Institute of African Studies

a

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6

9^I

o

t ^t; es

the

1 ons

Refugees

s a,

ional the

s 9 Gene 1

e

c I I, I t i

la is des S

ed n resolution

o

assistance to a f the lernen

ief, rehab l i -

de Af r i.c an s

ure required

nurr~ers of re s

e

s

of the

d

s

t

i d

ial of

e

s

Y i s

and sion sharing the same time,

e has the onditions

s ie ts of rs'

its rs

es' s s June 1981" The

th the s t

at that time.

i1 981 st

shad

be I

nt t

f

ga of d

s a e y

a t to partic

sts ha ponsored

interde~~u~L~.u~eand and deve- huma

f e

f Id

reI onshi ts

International

5

I

to e

e s ies~

the

th human

internat 1

t d

there 1

f i e

o

p

"r:'

L U l l . U C l l l l ' C l l

reoomme no thi

ed the

f the UN.

wome s of

e and si e women

to refer

y

em s caused oc al mi

e

often pure

s among so and only gene a stance, but also

which ends reduce ients of hand-outs. If th s

resources

Looke d eff s a

fail.

at

io of e i

stion on re , execution as stance and eva The

he

a st

confere e

in rat

p

p

for to take

is bette s

be

of

Whether the answer to quest is easi f

or not Id a of ta

undertake objective e the re es c erned.

ions

read I unctertaken c so le

format root effects,

the composition of refugee s r the s

the r ia s . s

costs and losses in refugee assi e se d al ⁰ sa

As an example could be

views with hundreds of re f the

Sudan show that more n have

crossed border main bec se of s a fear and need of tion and that ve few of

had any information about the conditions were in Sudan before they left. It a so came out that

see them ~ all all with very few e xc e ot ions want to retu soon as the cond tions - as

as

tween ion suggests the

ick assessment of r to get

r divis

S F

t ori

repeated recornlmE:n<ja up of machineries for

e situations i 0

ion se

in new re

s and ages and the re

/ s' ne s and fears.

f

1

s are

d from the

ine- the land and

e. Anarc e results.

are t y

irre s

Hi rto all international efforts seem to

c ted tre of

ieve the

1 . e ^s mass fl

a s stance to re

There is thi

tak is y commendabl

ccurred in Africa and e sewhere c

believe that international attention be to pre-flow situations are

re influx. The researc

s f i

pe of

s

a great need for govern-

e lest be eau been averted if e there is a ink berhl'O~,n

devel in the country f such is case there

s rnmental

e OAD to dwell on this is unaware events that

been ed at an e y

i t be

ac c

f taken in

ews are

many others.

itical and mil nte tional comml1ni

leaders

and tion should de be

of se ous ¹ ions.

4. SETTLEMENT ~ RELIEF OR DEVELOPMENT?

.1, General remarks We have al

ann in prepar

sized for sett

key role of ca

eme nt., We

the of ref

in this process and of be able to base it

i uss some

careful invest ted facts, We shall continue

aspec s of settlement of re s assistance thereto can be seen as

as

s

velopmen at all

or ther these two

1 1

presence of

n~~""sion of relief n case t rican re es

factor that necessitate the necessari to lo~)mlen

African rural re s often arrive at the border areas where there is no means of communicatlon1the

s of logistics necessitates the construction of roads. Since refugees arrive In a state of shock disorientation deteriorated health condition re ief activitites have to include the provislon of he lth serVlces clinics water supp schools sanitat s etc. Do these activi ies come under re ie or devel ?

In reali there is no between the Before the retugees can engage ln developmental

activities to be fed clothed and sheltered.

Unless are to be reduced into a pe ual e which is degrading anu stulti to

and unless policies to dreate a burden on international communi the ~efugees to be

initial ion s lC e

them to feed clothe shelter themselve is 1 re e cost incurred ho&governments and the international communi in the long run,

What will tv the settlements which have been created at the cost of considerable investment whe the refugees return home? Since the condition of the

1 population is often not better than the c ition of the re y would benefit from services available to refugees. The local ou d also take over the settlement services In case of

iation. Hence the investment would not be in vain lS is in ing with the UN pol of assist the rural poor.

t t

t s

s to state

f

re ocal

be seen a

sence of refugees.

i a s a cts f are two s s

inted out 1 have

settleme ve f

can a

es a new economic ac of cultivation which c

and educational stat of make them nd on e.g.

e available. If the ultimate a

jects is the ac our first task the limitations

tion and social and ec

e communi ires arge it a

ject costs

which are rare

to constrain develA~~o~ r

4.2. Seasonal

es

s Refugees not at least i

th the local f

scarce emplov'ml³n L

the emp conditions of the of them have durable nt enga in gainful

rural refugee pa ic refugees are often found to be part of the year.

e

some cases s 0

I

of the I

riti e d

s e

cou d

sa

ion for the widel prevalent the refugee population.

For rest of the time, wh year are id e lems. Some of them c out pe eCVllVlll~

firewood and charcoal for wood is be more and of many of the settlement turated many of the re periods of time. On y a

o assistance from humanit t oyment seasons.

relatives and friends ¹

some borrow money from those who The rest experience severe

starvation is unavoidable Thl

o of

t On the other hand idleness a a

frustration and conflicts. Th a source of grea stra the local lice and c se f

local ation and the re es.

or

1

s

re ireme fe are al

s t d et

ugee~

times those diff

the 0 f a

anations officia s about

r s and ob t 'I'horofore, refugee~a s

egal itua s

legi lation e to refugee 1 1

f

d 1

pr

le

p o

the

f unempl is

e

f on self

be and

s

c itie

i

st and la

t intere

ref s can be ion and to extent se

1

are 0

s

Re s often say is a re

es

mean

demands inter

or e st a

are in hu-,-Ul'-''' sovere state Others

of political social rsecutions di soc

international law itica and moral

commun and meet serious qovernment of c

in and of

additional and re es or rather

shall be resrnr~n

the

soften that the do be

s enjnu·,""""""

and other basic r

of ts.

One c tion that d a lfilled before vo

or enc se ement has been reached

conflict.

returnees

mus a s it absolute

If of

t

T limited

coun~",·~r'~,~rl"~tive

ssion on difficulties or reservations as

amnes to certain individua s exile this should be

return s g s them risk triation or is not le that the out screenings after to come . It is also

1 is scrupulous honoured sometimes

mak a reliable

In

As r

cases re s hesitate to go r fted into milita or

mil cannot

r-ecocm i.aec 'as a cause to retu:qE~eJ:lOod

cc:.nnot s uppo rt

up fear of be

t a to arms

be s or zes

is poli t

of peaceful settlement in armed conflicts s f lfilled.

If is i t is difficul to enc achieve any kind of successful iation

ition at last require a

--_.:-..-_---~----

litation

e

of 0 r in. If i t ner in the

ses out to soon a r re

Is t can

persons and in the same time bereav

add to the lems of urbanizat and disp

re s

of what had while

ion

ing refugees

ass

In some cases re es r iat shal be recompe

confiscated or des I tica

re economical reasons this

to realise Substantial assi

very often t

tion should fil

It is our conviction more attention Id be paid to those cond ions of voluntarine s

tion unless we shall continue to meet a sad f gure the former returnee

6 NATURALIZATION

is a re e for sec time.

In those cases where volun repatriation does no more stand out as a realistic Iternative the ho t

Id - like Tanzania - offer s of 1 scale naturalization to refugees But even such

of assistance from r e r ucee-ea ss ist ~uu~.~s to become successful

ir par tic

I as in nece

s s

to the re+nr<:c>""s

2 P shou l d a s facts

att t

a so s tations

3 Educated re s shoul systemat in activit s under and 2.

Governments and inte ¹

must attention to

ause new situat s f ss

5 . The international d

as ears and s of

tened 1

1 ic s of in

tion of civilians

Lrnrned i.ate

leaders in ca and mili

6.

7 . Relief or humanitation assistance and must be seen as two sides of the same th

8 . Assistance Id re

ficiants - of or

lies not a availab or at too h a cos

s of ^UHc...~l should be used for vocationa

train

ugees in ted enabl

ente ises 1 sea

to start settlements.

a sist

like

icenses etc .

2

view s

ssionals work

4

a se

Amne f

c Assistance s 1

1 5 In r be succes citizen to re

act re