Refugees in Camps: Anatomy of an Identity Crisis

Abstract

The previous chapter analyzes the interplay between geopolitics, border politics, and the creation of refugee movements. I now turn to refugees in camps, their predicaments, and the complex identities of refugee children. Encampment has long been an essential element of the humanitarian response to refugees — for several decades. The focus of the international humanitarian response in asylum countries has been to emphasize assistance at the expense of legal protection. Camps have become emblematic of this paradigm, as refugees frequently live for years or even decades in protracted camp settings with physical assistance while lacking access to the traditional durable solutions.