This volume sheds new light on the refugees and forced migration at the Horn of Africa and East Africa. Adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, it traces historical, structural, and geopolitical factors to reveal the often brutal uprooting of people in a region that hosts more than three million refugees and almost six million internally displaced persons (IDPs). By doing so, it enriches our understanding of the socio-economic, geopolitical and humanitarian causes and implications of migration and population displacement. The book is divided into five parts, focusing on different drivers of involuntary displacement and people’s uprooting: The first part covers geopolitical conflicts rooted partly in the colonial and Cold War geographies. The second part then focuses on security aspects and conflicts, while the third looks at encampment and refugee policies as well as refugee agencies. Part four highlights issues of forced repatriation and human trafficking. Lastly, part five analyzes the dynamics of refugee camps.

The so-called ‘refugee crisis’ represents one of the biggest contemporary political and social challenges. Although many African countries have been dealing with forced migratory and refugee movements for decades, their experiences have so far largely been neglected in the predominantly Eurocentric public debate. The present volume aims to bridge this gap by providing comparative African and European perspectives from different disciplines, highlighting the challenges but also potential mutual benefits of social diversification, and offering an insight into possible solution strategies.

How do African states respond to the mass arrival and prolonged presence of refugees? This book answers this question by drawing on recent case studies and examining the politics behind refugee policy in Africa. The implications of this approach are important not only for the study of asylum in Africa, but also for the future of refugee protection.

Part III: NGOs and struggles for human rights