The end of Asylum? The Changing Nature of Refugee Policies in Africa

Abstract

The evolution of refugee policies in post independence Africa may be classified into two periods. The first is the period between early 1960s and 1990, and the second is the period thereafter. In the first period, African countries, both individually and collectively, exhibited a very generous attitude towards refugees. Through the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, African states implemented what became known as an open door Since the late 1980s, there has been a marked shift in refugee policies in Africa, which became particularly pronounced in the 1990s. There are several reasons that have led to this change of policy. The first is the magnitude of the refugee problem. The second reason is insecurity both external and internal. Some refugee hosting countries have encountered serious external relations problems with the countries of origin, which in some cases have led to armed conflagration.