Desk Review On Urban Reintegration

The purpose of this desk review is to enhance UNHCR’s understanding of the process of reintegration in urban contexts, and draw some lessons which could inform a future policy and implementation strategy. In recent years, more displaced persons are returning to urban areas and more displaced persons live in urban areas. In principle, where there are persons of concern, so should there be a role for UNHCR to play. The UNHCR reintegration policy acknowledges the fact that there is an increasing number of beneficiaries in urban areas but  does not expand upon what (if anything) needs to be done to address how the Office can form its operational response to the needs of this group. Consequently, there appears to be no clear position on the extent of the agency’s involvement and the resource implications for operating in urban areas and thus, UNHCR’s position on its engagement in reintegration activities in urban areas is somewhat undefined.

Despite this lack of policy definition regarding this subject matter, greater attention is being turned toward the situation of beneficiaries in urban areas more generally. Studies are being conducted within several sectoral delimitations; livelihoods in urban areas, education and shelter in urban areas, and urban displacement as a whole, are coming under scrutiny in order to establish what is being done by the Office and how the UNHCR can proceed to achieve the maximum assistance to the beneficiaries in urban areas. Within this context of related and ongoing reviews, the scope of this study does not encompass all of these fields in depth, neither does it delve into the root causes of displacement, or seek to address the entire rural-urban migration phenomenon. Rather, the objective is to focus more firmly on highlighting what type of information on urban reintegration is available and to highlight where the UNHCR has made strategic efforts to address the needs of returnees in urban areas. Where gaps have been identified, this has been highlighted, in the hope that recommendations as to whether or for how these gaps can be filled will be formulated. Ultimately, it is hoped that this desk review can contribute to a broader study on the challenges faced by beneficiaries in urban areas and the ideal UNHCR responses thereto.