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Omata, N. (2017). The Myth of Self-Reliance: Economic Lives Inside a Liberian Refugee Camp. (Vol. 36). Oxford: Berghahn Books.

For many refugees, economic survival in refugee camps is extraordinarily difficult. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative research , this volume challenges the reputation of a ‘self-reliant’ model given to Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana and sheds light on considerable economic inequality between refugee households.By following the same refugee households over several years, The Myth of Self-Reliance also provides valuable insights into refugees’ experiences of repatriation to Liberia after protracted exile and their responses to the ending of refugee status for remaining refugees in Ghana.

Contents: 

  • Introduction: Buduburam: An Exemplary Refugee Camp?
  • Chapter 1. ‘Guests Who Stayed Too Long’: Refugee Lives in a Protracted Exile
  • Chapter 2. Economic Lives in Buduburam
  • Chapter 3. The Household Economy in the Camp
  • Chapter 4. Roots of Economic Stratification: A Historical Perspective
  • Chapter 5. Repatriation to Liberia: The ‘Best’ Solution for Refugees?
  • Chapter 6. The ‘End’ of Refugee Life? When Refugee Status Ceases
  • Chapter 7. Developing a Better Understanding of Livelihoods, Self-Reliance and Social Networks in Forced Migration Studies