The Uganda Model: A critical discussion of refugee's self-reliance in Kyaka and Kyangwali refugee settlements

Kristiansen, Andreas Muff Krarup

4. term

Global Refugee Studies, Master

2020

2020-02-02

74

I 2016 vedtog alle FN’s medlemslande New York-deklarationen for flygtninge og migranter. Et halvt år senere, i marts 2017, omsatte Uganda denne globale strategi til praksis gennem den omfattende flygtningeresponsramme, Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan Ugandas model for at huse flygtninge fungerer efter to år med CRRF som den ledende ramme. I foråret 2019 gennemførte jeg tre måneders feltarbejde i Uganda. Jeg var baseret i Kampala og tilbragte to intensive uger i flygtningebosættelserne Kyaka II og Kyangwali i det vestlige Uganda. Sammen med Albert Djuma, beboer i Kyangwali, der fungerede som lokal nøgleperson (gatekeeper) og tolk, indsamlede jeg kvalitative data med særligt fokus på selvhjulpenhed (self-reliance)—idéen om, at flygtninge skal kunne forsørge sig selv. Med disse data som udgangspunkt analyserer afhandlingen, hvilke konsekvenser CRRF og beslægtede politikker har i praksis. Analysen bygger på kritisk teori, som udfordrer etablerede antagelser, og anvender Carol Bacchis WPR-tilgang ("What’s the Problem Represented to be?") til at undersøge, hvordan politikdokumenter definerer problemer og løsninger. Gennemgående viser analysen, at nutidige politikker i høj grad genbruger tidligere strategier i Uganda, og at nyliberale værdier—som frihandel, frit marked og private ejendomsrettigheder—præger udformningen af flygtningepolitikken. Ved at sætte fokus på selvhjulpenhed afdækker afhandlingen et misforhold mellem hverdagslivet i bosættelserne og den måde, situationen beskrives i politik og strategi. Konkrete eksempler fra Kyaka II og Kyangwali viser, at flygtninge møder de facto barrierer for grundlæggende rettigheder, herunder begrænsninger i deres bevægelsesfrihed. Afhandlingen argumenterer for, at disse hindringer primært har kontekstuelle og strukturelle årsager—såsom lokale forhold, institutionelle regler og ressourcer—snarere end at skyldes den enkelte persons ansvar, hvilket står i kontrast til rammeværkets individfokus. Endvidere undersøger afhandlingen lokale, selvdrevne community-baserede organisationer (CBO’er) i bosættelserne. Disse initiativer giver mere end blot muligheder for indkomst; de skaber fællesskab, læring og støtte. Alligevel møder CBO’erne især økonomiske barrierer, der hæmmer deres udvikling. I stedet for primært at skabe bedre rammevilkår for CBO’erne søger den nuværende politik at inkludere dem i højere koordineringsniveauer. Afhandlingen diskuterer, hvad denne inklusion betyder for organisationer, der både er dybt lokale og samtidig forventes at indgå i større strukturer. Samlet bidrager afhandlingen til den kritiske litteratur om selvhjulpenhed ved at bringe nye erfaringer fra Kyaka II og Kyangwali. Ved at vise, hvordan et stærkt fokus på nyliberale værdier former indsatsen, peger afhandlingen på konsekvenser, som den nuværende ramme i Uganda ikke adresserer, og opfordrer til en mere afbalanceret forståelse af selvhjulpenhed.

In 2016, all UN member states adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. Six months later, in March 2017, Uganda put this global strategy into practice through the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). This thesis examines how Uganda’s refugee-hosting model has worked after two years with the CRRF as the main framework. In spring 2019, I conducted three months of fieldwork in Uganda. Based in Kampala, I spent two intensive weeks in the refugee settlements of Kyaka II and Kyangwali in western Uganda. Together with Albert Djuma, a resident of Kyangwali who served as a local gatekeeper and interpreter, I gathered qualitative data with a particular focus on self-reliance—the idea that refugees should be able to sustain themselves. Using these data, the thesis analyzes the practical implications of the CRRF and related policies. The analysis draws on critical theory, which challenges established assumptions, and applies Carol Bacchi’s WPR approach (“What’s the Problem Represented to be?”) to examine how policy documents define problems and solutions. Overall, the analysis shows that current policies largely repackage earlier strategies used in Uganda and that neoliberal values—free trade, free markets, and private property rights—strongly shape the refugee response. By focusing on self-reliance, the thesis reveals gaps between everyday realities in the settlements and the way the situation is presented in policy and strategy. Concrete cases from Kyaka II and Kyangwali show that refugees face de facto barriers to basic rights, including limits on freedom of movement. The thesis argues that these obstacles are primarily contextual and structural—such as local conditions, institutional rules, and resource constraints—rather than the sole responsibility of individuals, which contrasts with the framework’s emphasis on individual responsibility. The thesis also examines community-based organizations (CBOs) started within the settlements. These initiatives offer more than livelihood opportunities; they foster community, learning, and mutual support. Yet CBOs face significant financial barriers that hinder their growth. Instead of mainly creating enabling conditions for CBOs, current policy tends to incorporate them into higher coordination levels. The thesis discusses what this inclusion means for organizations that are deeply local yet expected to participate in wider structures. Overall, the thesis contributes to the critical literature on self-reliance by bringing new empirical insights from Kyaka II and Kyangwali. By showing how a strong focus on neoliberal values shapes the response, it highlights consequences the current framework in Uganda does not address and calls for a more balanced understanding of self-reliance.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

flygtninge ; uganda ; CRRF ; Kyaka ; Kyangwali ; CBO ; neoliberalisme

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