The local integration and local settlement of refugees: a conceptual and historical analysis

This paper examines the role of local integration and local settlement as a means of addressing and finding durable solutions to refugee problems. The paper begins with an attempt to define the concepts of local integration and local settlement, as well as their relationship to each other. The following section explains why the international community has paid relatively little attention to these approaches in recent years, and why it has preferred to pursue a solutions strategy which focuses predominantly on repatriation.
The paper goes on to suggest that voluntary repatriation is not an immediately attainable solution for many of the world’s refugees, nor is it necessarily the most viable one for others. On the basis of this analysis, the paper concludes that a comprehensive strategy is required for refugee problems to be effectively addressed and resolved, involving a revitalized approach to local integration, local settlement and the promotion of self-reliance.