Refugees International: Issues: Return & Reintegration

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Return & Reintegration

Liberia 2005: Refugee return from Sierra Leone to Lofa County

Concerns

The most desirable way to end forced displacement is for people to return home and reintegrate in their original society. This often happens when conflict ends or when a humanitarian emergency is overcome. The first movements are spontaneous and are usually done by a single member of the family, with the entire household following later. To return in safety and dignity, families need help with transportation and require food and basic tools for restarting their lives. Back home they may find their houses burned or fields destroyed. Their land may be occupied by others. New challenges arise.

Refugees International works to ensure that returning refugees and displaced persons -- and their communities – receive proper assistance by both local authorities and international organizations. Returns often happen after many years of exile and following the end of civil wars so we advocate for post-conflict inter-community reconciliation programs. We also monitor to see that discrimination does not take place and that particular attention is given to vulnerable groups like widows, orphans, households headed by women and children, and the handicapped.

Accomplishments

Displaced people who fled to the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) because of the recent war and who had lived in miserable conditions in camps have started to return home. Refugees International had advocated for their inclusion in existing programs and succeeded in bringing together Congolese government and UN agencies to support the return process.
In early 2004, on the eve of the UNHCR facilitated return of Burundian refugees living in Tanzania, Refugees International identified delays in the preparation of the transit centers and the lack of UNHCR protection personnel in the field. Effective advocacy succeeded in providing greater funding to the operation and teams in the field were strengthened with new personnel.
RI identified Afghan nomads (Kuchis) as “forgotten people,” visited them in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and recommended that they be helped to return home and included in national development programs. Our findings were widely distributed and reported by the media and helped keep the international community focused on this issue.

What You Can Do

Sign Up for our bimonthly E-Updates to learn more about helping displaced people return home.
Donate to Refugees International so we can continue to ensure that displaced people receive the assistance they need to return home.