In the absence of the humanitarian gaze: refugee camps after dark

Night-time is scarcely discussed when it comes to the analysis of life in refugee
camps. Around the world, humanitarian aid agencies´ access to camp sites is often
limited to traditional office hours. Aid officials’ presence may be limited by offical
curfews. Aid workers may retreat from camps for socializing and rest.
At night-time, refugee settlements – almost terra incognita - elicit ambiguous
sentiments among those who eschew them. Aid workers often see refugees’ nocturnal
activities as merely physical (e.g. sleep and sexual relationships). They also point to
increased dangers at night-time, and may use these to justify personal withdrawal.
Against this backdrop, this paper1 makes a first attempt to shed light on nocturnal life
in and around refugee camps. Most of the data used here stems from anthropological
fieldwork with Karenni refugee and forced migrant youth in and around a refugee
camp close to Mae Hong Son (Northern Thailand). I conducted this fieldwork during
January and February 2006 as a preliminary study for my doctoral dissertation project.
During the course of this research, I had only one opportunity to participate in a
nocturnal event within the camp and thus relied largely on the accounts of my
interlocutors (some of whom I regularly met during the hours of darkness outside the
camp) to form a picture of the time from dusk until dawn in and around refugee
camps. While the majority of research participants consisted of refugee and forced
migrant youth roughly between the ages of 17 and 25, the information presented in
this paper is also based on the testimonies and accounts of adults working and/or
living with these young people.
Besides the data originating from this case study, this text draws together findings on
forced migrants´ nocturnal lives in different geographical settings. Since this research
is a work-in-progress, this paper does not purport to offer an authoritative picture of
nocturnal camp life, but rather hopes to instigate discussion that might shape further
research directions.
The paper begins by stressing the importance of scrutinizing night-time, whether in
relation to forced migration or in social research, more generally. This is followed by
a presentation of preliminary research findings with regard to the impact of nightfall
on the lives of refugees and forced migrants, in particular, social relations; physical
security; mental well-being; and livelihood provision after dark.
The paper concludes by suggesting that exploring nocturnal aspects of refugee camps
and settlements might not only reveal new insights into refugees´ livelihood strategies
and coping mechanisms during the night, but also improve our general understanding
of social life in refugee camps and settlements.