Refugee protection and refugee-host community relationships in Kyaka II

Abstract

This research explored refugee protection as a public policy and administrative process, and how governance arrangements, institutional coordination, and policy implementation shape refugee- host community relationships in Kyaka II in Kyegegwa district. The study was guided by three specific objectives namely; (i) to examine the political (governance and administrative) landscape of refugee protection in Kyaka II, (ii) to investigate existing public policy interventions aimed at improving socio-economic development in the Kyaka II community and, (iii) to examine how refugee policy is perceived by refugees and the citizens in the host community of Kyaka II. Refugee protection was analyzed using elements of the Political Pluralism and Transnationalism theories. The research methodology adopted for the study was qualitative, with a case study research design to attain an in-depth and holistic understanding of the complexity of the phenomena under study in Kyaka II. Findings from the research are discussed in chapter four. The study established that, first; Uganda appears not to be helping refugees in Kyaka II to attract political gains but is rather doing it in solidarity with those who are being affected by war or conflict in their countries of origin. However, this gesture stands on the core values of Pan- Africanism which is a political ideology in the African context. Additionally, because refugee protection in the host community attracts different stakeholders who have individual interests, failure to moderate their operations can jeopardize service delivery. The Government of Uganda (GoU) as the main stakeholder uses a centralization system for refugee protection in Kyaka II. However much as this system coordinates other development partners’ operations in ways mutually beneficial to the state or government, it undermines the capacity of the local authorities or the local government to impact refugee protection in Kyaka II. This study also revealed that organizational politics being exercised by development partners still comes into play in refugee protection in Kyaka II. Secondly, the socio-economic interventions impacted Kyaka II both positively and negatively during its years of hosting refugees. This is despite the settlement no longer receiving refugees as of this year (2024), given the already very high population. This current situation has had a significant impact on people's ability to earn a living and therefore, there has been a rise in conflict in the settlement over vices such as food theft with refugees increasingly stealing from residents. This has as a result harmed relationships between the two groups. Thirdly, the findings also show that many refugees and nationals are either not self-reliant or are unhappy with the refugee policy that has been put in place since many are struggling to meet their basic needs, largely due to funding gaps. However, this study revealed that the hosts also have positive views of refugees being in Kyaka II. The research findings are beneficial for scholars, the state and non-state actors involved in refugee protection and in promoting peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities. The research ended with suggestions for possible areas of future inquiry that emerged in this study in Chapter Five.