Panacea for the refugee crisis? Rethinking the promotion of ‘self-reliance’ for refugees

Evan Easton-Calabria and Naohiko Omata

Third World Quarterly, 2018, vol. 39, issue 8, 1458-1474

Abstract: This article provides a critical examination of the current extensive promotion of ‘self-reliance’ for refugees. The existing scholarship largely ignores the unsuccessful historical record of international assistance to foster refugees’ self-reliance and fails to discuss its problematic linkages to neoliberalism and the notion of ‘dependency’. The article reveals that the current conceptualisation and practice of self-reliance are largely shaped by the priorities of international donors that aim to create cost-effective exit strategies from long-term refugee populations. The authors argue that where uncritically interpreted and applied, the promotion of self-reliance can result in unintended and undesirable consequences for refugees’ well-being and protection.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2018.1458301

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