Evaluation of UNHCR’s policy on refugees in urban areas

UNHCR issued a new policy on refugees in urban areas at the end of 1997. In October 1999, the Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit (EPAU) was requested to undertake a comprehensive review of the new policy and its implementation. As a first step in this process, a desk-based global survey was undertaken, so as to identify key issues for further research and analysis.

As a second step, a number of case studies have been selected for detailed review. New Delhi was chosen as the first of these evaluations because it accommodates a large and longstanding urban refugee population – almost 16,000 in total, most of them from Afghanistan - and because the UNHCR programme in New Delhi has proven to be a particularly problematic one.

This review was undertaken by two EPAU staff members, who undertook a mission to New Delhi from 3 to 13 April 2000.