Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from Uganda and South Sudan, this article considers return movements of refugees to uncover underlying causes. The study found that due to a number of factors, including gradual aid reductions, lack of livelihood opportunities in Uganda and severe hardship, South Sudanese refugees travel back to their homeland in hope of being able to financially support their relatives who remain in Uganda. The article argues that this phenomenon of returns…

This article considers return movements of refugees between Uganda and South Sudan, to investigate the motivation of returns as linked to the gradual reduction of aid and livelihood in Uganda. The article provides insights on an alternative understanding of returns to repatriation or empowering socio-economic opportunity, showcasing the split of South Sudanese households to sustain their life among hardship in Uganda, to effectively “fund their refugeehood”. Read more here

This report provides an overview of the main housing, land and property (HLP) issues as well as offering best practices on how to address these, with examples on how approaches adapted to changing circumstances. The report is informed by NRC’s three years of experience (between June 2021 and May 2024) in providing legal aid services on HLP to both refugee and host community members in three settlements (Bidibidi, Rhino Camp and Imvepi) in the West…

In recent years, there has been a notable trend among asylum seekers and refugees in Uganda, as they increasingly relocate and self-settle in urban areas. This shift towards urbanisation, particularly in Uganda’s secondary cities, has prompted a closer examination of the legal protection challenges faced by these displaced populations. This report focuses on four such secondary cities: Mbarara, Hoima, Koboko and Adjumani, each identified for their significant refugee population and strategic geographic location. Through a…

Abstract South Sudanese fled their communities in large numbers following the outbreak of political violence in 2013, with an estimated 4.5 million forcibly displaced by mid-2018. Of neighbouring countries, Uganda hosts the greatest number of South Sudanese refugees. Based on qualitative data collected in 2018 and 2019 in two refugee settlements in the West Nile sub-region of Uganda, this article examines the social connectedness of refugees during their flight and after their arrival in Uganda….

Background Contextual factors including poverty and inequitable gender norms harm refugee adolescent and youths’ wellbeing. Our study focused on Bidi Bidi refugee settlement that hosts more than 230,000 of Uganda’s 1.4 million refugees. We explored contextual factors associated with wellbeing among refugee adolescents and youth aged 16–24 in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement. Conclusions Resource scarcity produced pervasive stressors among refugee adolescents and youth. Findings signal the importance of gender transformative approaches to SGBV prevention that…

Looking through the lens of disputes and their resolution, this article examines the efforts undertaken by refugees to guarantee peaceful coexistence within and around settlements in northern Uganda. Based on extensive fieldwork, the authors examine which disputes occur within and around the settlements and which actors intervene to mediate and solve them. They identify a hierarchy among the different formal and informal actors involved in the resolution of disputes and show how refugee leaders operate…

While there are overall good relations, tensions between South Sudanese refugees and Ugandan communities around natural resources, livelihoods and land should not be ignored, a new report by International Refugee Rights Initiative highlights. Frictions have sparked violent incidents, and if not properly addressed could escalate into broader conflict in northern Uganda. Download

In May 2017, Belgium started to fund the ACROPOLIS G4D research group, whose final objective is to publish, by October 2018, a green paper including principles, indicators and major steps to be taken towards building a Comprehensive Approach for Belgium Development Cooperation. As part of the research process, it was decided that two country case studies were to be conducted, one in Uganda on the refugee crisis responsefocusing on the humanitarian – development nexus, and…

This report looks at the challenges and opportunities that large influxes of refugees present in Uganda. Download

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