Urban Refugees Research Articles

Resilience, smartphone use and language among urban refugees in the Global south

ABSTRACT The formidable challenges faced by urban refugees in the Global South have received considerable attention, calling for new approaches to support their resilience. Although critical interest in resilience and the role of digital technology in enabling refugees to navigate their new surroundings has been growing, little attention has been paid to the influence of language and literacy in processes of resilience-building and the use of such technology. This is important due to the diverse linguistic resources which refugees bring with them and the central role of language in adapting to contexts of forced displacement. We develop a conceptual framework for examining refugees’ transnational use of smartphones and apply the framework to data collected from participatory workshops with fifty-four Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. Results revealed varying degrees of digital literacy, linguistic capital and literacy in three main languages: the Rohingya language which refugees bring with them, Bahasa Malaysia, the national language of Malaysia and English, which is widely spoken in Malaysia. These variations significantly shape resilience-building strategies. Greater attention to the role of language and literacy in refugees’ use of digital technology will contribute to better understanding of the capacity for resilience among these individuals and more effective digital solutions.

Impact of restricting access to health care services on Syrian refugees in Jordan: evidence from cross-sectional surveys

PurposeAccess to health-care services for refugees are always impacted by many factors and strongly associated with population profile, nature of crisis and capacities of hosing countries. Throughout refugee’s crisis, the Jordanian Government has adopted several healthcare access policies to meet the health needs of Syrian refugees while maintaining the stability of the health-care system. The adopted health-care provision policies ranged from enabling to restricting and from affordable to unaffordable. The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of restricted level of access to essential health services among Syrian refugees in Jordan.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used findings of a cross-sectional surveys conducted over urban Syrian refugees in Jordan in 2017 and 2018 over two different health-care access policies. The first were inclusive and affordable, whereas the other considered very restricting policy owing to high inflation in health-care cost. Access indicators from four main thematic areas were selected including maternal health, family planning, child health and monthly access of household. A comparison between both years’ access indicators was conducted to understand access barriers and its impact.FindingsThe comparison between findings of both surveys shows a sudden shift in health-care access and utilization behaviors with increased barriers level thus increased health vulnerabilities. Additionally, the finding during implementation of restricted access policy proves the tendency among some refugees groups to adopt negative adaptation strategies to reduce health-care cost. The participants shifted to use a fragmented health-care, reduced or delayed care seeking and use drugs irrationally weather by self-medication or reduce drug intake.Originality/valueUnderstanding access barriers to health services and its negative short-term and long-term impact on refugees’ health status as well as the extended risks to the host communities will help states that hosting refugees building rational access policy to protect whole community and save public health gains during and post crisis. Additionally, it will support donors to better mobilize resources according to the needs while the humanitarian actors and service providers will better contribute to the public health stability during refugee’s crisis.

‘Min Al-Mukhayyam’ (‘From the Camp’)

This article examines the implications of long-term encampment and exile for the meaning of Palestinian identity amongst refugees. It shows how the conditions of Palestinian camps in Jordan function as a key marker of social difference between refugees of the camps and the city. Whereas camp refugees see the hardships of camp life as conditions to be confronted, urban refugees take them as constitutive features of a socially distinct refugee. As I argue, the distinctions between camp and city refugees illustrate how the refugee category and the humanitarian camp exceed the ideology and function of humanitarianism. They demonstrate how, in protracted refugee situations, the refugee label and the historical context of the camp can become socially significant and contested features of identity.

Solicited diary methods with urban refugee women: Ethical and practical considerations

Urban refugee women are a challenging research population to contact as they typically prefer to remain discreet and anonymous in their host cities due to concerns over their status and security. Building trust and rapport can be challenging and researchers need to balance issues such as negotiating gatekeepers and time scales alongside ethical demands to do no harm and avoid extractive and exploitative research. As a result, refugee women’s individual and quotidian experiences are rarely examined and foregrounded and their emotional responses to their host cities and host communities are overlooked. In light of this, considered methods, such as solicited diaries, which allow refugees the space and time to reflect on their emotional experiences and these associations with space and place, could be beneficial. However, there has been little written on the use of this method with refugee participants in deeply marginalised circumstances. Alongside some practical and ethical considerations of using solicited diary methods with urban refugee women, this paper considers two main issues. First, the practical role that instructions play in guiding participant responses and engagement in the diary process, and second the ways in which diaries can illuminate the relationship between emotion and spatiality. Diaries were found to have much to offer in advocating refugees as knowledge holders, whereby written excerpts act as “evidence” of their experiences. Analysed alongside other qualitative methods, and if used appropriately and considerately with refugee participants, diaries have the potential to be insightful, empowering, and cathartic.

Conducting research on building psychosocial support for Syrian refugee families in a humanitarian emergency

BackgroundThis case study describes research, which is located in Turkey, where more than 750,000 Syrian refugees reside autonomously in Istanbul. The research developed and pilot tested a novel model for helping urban refugee families with limited to no access to evidence-based mental health services, by delivering a transdiagnostic family intervention for common mental disorders in health and non-health sector settings using a task-sharing approach. This case study addresses the following question: What challenges were encountered in developing and piloting a low intensity trans-diagnostic family support intervention in a humanitarian emergency setting?DiscussionThe rapidly growing scale of humanitarian crises requires new response capabilities geared towards addressing populations with prolonged high vulnerability to mental health consequences and limited to no access to mental health, health, and social resources.The research team faced multiple challenges in conducting this research in a humanitarian emergency setting including: 1) Non-existent or weak partnerships geared towards mental health research in a humanitarian emergency; 2) Lack of familiarity with task-sharing; 3).Insufficient language and cultural competency; 3) Fit with families’ values and demands; 4) Hardships of urban refugees. Through the research process, the research team learned lessons concerning: 1) building a coalition of academic and humanitarian organization partners; 2) investing in the research capacity building of local researchers and partners; 3) working in a community-collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach.ConclusionConducting research in humanitarian emergency settings calls for innovative collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to understanding and addressing many sociocultural, contextual, practical and scientific challenge.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Disparities in Unmet Need among Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Thailand in 2019.

The health of urban refugees and asylum seekers (URAS) in Thailand has been under-researched compared with other groups of non-Thai populations, especially on the topic of unmet need. The aim of this study is to examine the level of unmet need among URAS in Thailand, focusing on out-patient (OP) and in-patient (IP) care. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2019. Stratified random sampling was undertaken and a total of 181 participants were included. A bivariate analysis was used to explore the level of unmet need among different URAS groups. Multivariate logistic regression was undertaken to examine the association between potential correlations and unmet need of IP and OP care. The majority of participants were female and aged below 30 years, with a low educational background and poor economic status. Most of them had experienced an illness in the past month before the interview, and some suffered from chronic diseases. The prevalence of both OP and IP unmet needs was more frequent among URAS from Arab countries. Furthermore, being from Arab countries indicated a strong link with OP and IP unmet need. Additionally, having illness over the past six months and chronic diseases were found to be significant determinants of IP unmet need. Our analysis showed that nationality had a strong association with both IP and OP unmet need, especially among those from Arab countries. Therefore, culturally appropriate health services should be considered to promote healthcare access among diverse groups of URAS. Further qualitative studies on barriers to accessing OP and IP care, such as communication, interpretation, and social dimensions, are required.

Urbanization, informal governance and refugee integration in Egypt

ABSTRACT How does urban migrant and refugee settlement occur in face of national inaction on immigration policy? This paper focuses on recent migration to Cairo, a Global South megacity that is home to migrants and refugees from across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Using in-depth fieldwork, it examines the informal policies that have developed in the absence of national legislation, and explores the impact these have on: (1) the ability for individual migrants and refugees to participate socially, politically and economically; (2) the ability for civil society organizations to organize, provide social services, or engage in activism; (3) occasions when the Egyptian state will forego its hands-off approach in favour of direct intervention. This informs our understanding of the relationship between national policy, informal urban governance, and migrant and refugee settlement in the context of Global South cities, with potential applications to other urban environments.

Noncommunicable Disease and Health Care-Seeking Behavior Among Urban Camp-Dwelling Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: A Preliminary Investigation.

Purpose: Syrian refugees (SRs) in Lebanon are often relegated to informal camps with poor living conditions and substandard access to health care. This study examined the unique condition of urban camp-dwelling SRs in Lebanon. This population is rarely studied as they are marginalized and difficult to access. We sought to assess the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and health care-seeking behaviors within this population.Methods: A randomized group of urban camp-dwelling SR participants completed a survey on disease burden, health care-seeking patterns, and attitudes toward care. A second group completed interviews regarding health care experiences. We present descriptive population and epidemiologic measures to quantify NCD burden and health care-seeking behaviors.Results: Of 101 participants, 39% reported arthritis, 25% skin infection, 24% high blood pressure, 16% chronic lung conditions, 16% eye disease, and 15% diabetes. Major themes from interviews with SRs included poor living conditions, high cost of health care services, and perceived discrimination by health care workers (HCWs). The major theme from interviews with HCWs was a perception that SRs received health care services similar to members of surrounding communities.Discussion: In this population, we found a higher prevalence of NCDs at younger ages than in the general SR population. We described perceived barriers to accessing health care, including the noteworthy finding of perceived discrimination by HCWs in a linguistically and culturally related host community. We discussed social determinants of health within the camp and refugees' ability to access health care services.

Commentary: ‘Profitability’, Curated Narratives and Spatial Governance and their Impacts on Urban Migration and the Lives of Migrants

AbstractThis commentary reviews ‘The ‘Badlands’ of the ‘Balkan Route’: policy and spatial effects on urban refugee housing’, by Gemma Bird, Jelena Obradovic‐Wochnik, Amanda Beattie and Patrycja Rozbicka; ‘Walking in Jozi: Guided Tours, Insecurity and Urban Regeneration in Inner City Johannesburg’ by Lena Opfermann, and ‘Curating (im)mobility: Peri‐urban agency in the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum’ by Stefanie Kappler, and explores common threads running through the three articles, namely ‘profitability’, curated narratives and spatial governance, and their impact on ‘othering’ migrants and entrenching inequality.

The State of Play for Popular Investment Models: A Practical Assessment

<h3>Background</h3> HIV prevention needs are understudied with urban refugee youth. We explored experiences, preferences and engagement with HIV testing and prevention among urban refugee adolescents and youth in Kampala, Uganda, with a focus on the role of contextual factors in shaping access and uptake. <h3>Methods</h3> This qualitative community-based study with urban refugee youth aged 16–24 living in Kampala’s informal settlements involved five focus groups (FG), including two with women, two with men, and one with sex workers. We also conducted five in-depth key informant interviews. We conducted thematic analysis informed by Campbell and Cornish’s conceptualization of material and symbolic contexts. <h3>Results</h3> Refugee youth participants (n=44; mean age: 20.25, SD: 2.19; men: n=17; women: n=27) were from the Democratic Republic of Congo (n=29), Rwanda (n=11), Burundi (n=3), and Sudan (n=1). Participant narratives reflected material, symbolic and relational contexts that shaped HIV testing awareness, preferences and uptake. Material contextual factors that presented barriers to HIV testing and prevention engagement included: transportation costs to clinics, overcrowded living conditions that limited access to private spaces, low literacy, and language barriers. Symbolic contexts that constrained HIV testing engagement included medical mistrust of HIV testing, and inequitable gender norms. Religion emerged as an opportunity to connect with refugee communities and to address conservative religious positions on HIV and sexual health. Relational contexts connected with HIV prevention and testing engagement included linkages with professional support, family, friends, and intimate partners. Many participants suggested the need for mental health support alongside HIV care, particularly for HIV testing. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Efforts to increase access and uptake along the HIV testing and prevention cascade can meaningfully engage urban refugee adolescents and youth to develop culturally and contextually relevant services to optimize HIV and sexual health outcomes. Integrated mental health and HIV services may be warranted for urban refugee adolescents and youth.

Hidup dalam Transit: Representasi Diri Digital Pengungsi Muda Oromo di Instagram terhadap Rekonstruksi “Refugeeness” dalam Interaksi antara Pengungsi dan Audiens

The representation of refugees and asylum seekers should not be bounded to media&rsquo;s depiction of it . This paper focuses on refugees&rsquo; self-representation on Instagram, one of the most used social media platforms in the world, which cannot be understood separately from their daily life as refugees. Drawing from the observation of young Oromo refugees, I find that Instagram&mdash;and other social media&mdash; are used as a form of online participation to fill their days in transit. Other than offering the Oromo youths access to entertainment and new insights, Instagram also provides a space in which they can build and maintain relations hip and it allows them to talk about and for themselves with photos, videos, and captions. They do this by celebrating their mundane moments as well as accessing and expressing happiness through the platform . Their posts also a ffect the audience or other users who know them as refugees and have online and offline interaction with them . They evoke a peculiar reconstruction of refugeeness . T his paper offers a view of refugeeness as something constantly reconstructed and a thorough as well as contextual understanding of the lives of refugees, especially urban refugees who live in a transit country .

Intersecting stigma and HIV testing practices among urban refugee adolescents and youth in Kampala, Uganda: qualitative findings.

IntroductionHIV‐related risks may be exacerbated in humanitarian contexts. Uganda hosts 1.3 million refugees, of which 60% are aged under 18. There are knowledge gaps regarding HIV testing facilitators and barriers, including HIV and intersecting stigmas, among urban refugee youth. In response, we explored experiences and perspectives towards HIV testing strategies, including HIV self‐testing, with urban refugee youth in Kampala, Uganda.MethodsWe implemented a qualitative study with refugee cisgender youth aged 16 to 24 living in Kampala's informal settlements from February‐April 2019. We conducted five focus groups with refugee youth, including two with adolescent boys and young men, two with adolescent girls and young women and one with female sex workers. We also conducted five key informant (KI) interviews with government, non‐government and community refugee agencies and HIV service providers. We conducted thematic analyses to understand HIV testing experiences, perspectives and recommendations.ResultsParticipants (n = 49) included young men (n = 17) and young women (n = 27) originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] (n = 29), Rwanda (n = 11), Burundi (n = 3) and Sudan (n = 1), in addition to five KI (gender: n = 3 women, n = 2 men; country of origin: n = 2 Rwanda, n = 2 Uganda, n = 1 DRC). Participant narratives revealed stigma drivers included fear of HIV infection; misinformation that HIV is a “Ugandan disease”; and blame and shame for sexual activity. Stigma facilitators included legal precarity regarding sex work, same‐sex practices and immigration status, alongside healthcare mistreatment and confidentiality concerns. Stigma experiences were attributed to the social devaluation of intersecting identities (sex work, youth, refugees, sexual minorities, people living with HIV, women). Participants expressed high interest in HIV self‐testing. They recommended HIV self‐testing implementation strategies to be peer supported and expressed concerns regarding sexual‐ and gender‐based violence with partner testing.ConclusionsIntersecting stigma rooted in fear, misinformation, blame and shame, legal precarity and healthcare mistreatment constrain current HIV testing strategies with urban refugee youth. Findings align with the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework that conceptualizes stigma drivers and facilitators that devalue intersecting health conditions and social identities. Findings can inform multi‐level strategies to foster enabling HIV testing environments with urban refugee youth, including tackling intersecting stigma and leveraging refugee youth peer support.

The “problem” of the urban refugee: the African refugee regime and the Joint Refugee Services of Kenya, 1967–1982

ABSTRACT This article examines a short era in which the category of the African “urban refugee” garnered special attention from governments and non-governmental organizations. In the late 1960s, those dealing with refugee issues began to perceive urban refugees as posing a unique set of problems, ones that required intervention by specialized professionals. This shift in thinking came to fruition with the Joint Refugee Services of Kenya (JRSK). For the first few years of the 1970s, JRSK staff (including trained social workers) provided sympathetic and individualized attention to refugees in Nairobi. Yet top-level management harbored a suspicion that refugees might become dependent and morally weak through cash allowances, while from the mid-1970s some lower level staff took advantage of refugees, and the number of refugees increased while JRSK resources stagnated. By the mid-1980s, the JRSK had been disbanded and the vision of special, individualized programs for urban refugees had been forgotten.

Exploring the relationship between information and communication technology collective behaviors and sense of community: an urban refugee analysis

PurposeHelping others use information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as mobile phones, can be beneficial for individuals and communities. In urban refugee communities, displaced and living far from home, collective behaviors with mobile phones can generate a sense of belonging. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential for these offline behaviors to generate a sense of community among urban refugees.Design/methodology/approachUsing quantitative evidence, the authors examined the relationship between collective behaviors, such as sharing or helping with a mobile phone, and sense of community. The authors analyzed survey data collected from urban refugees in Rwanda via multiple regression to test hypotheses related to the impact of collective behaviors on sense of community, as well as the mediating role of ICT self-efficacy and gender.FindingsThe findings suggest that collective behaviors with mobile phones have a positive relationship with sense of community, driven primarily by providing assistance as compared to sharing. ICT self-efficacy was positively related to sense of community. However, collective behaviors' impacts differed by gender, suggesting that social dynamics influence this relationship.Originality/valueWhile the extant literature highlights the various roles of mobile phones in refugees' lives, less is known about the social aspects of use and its potential to help overcome isolation by fostering a sense of community. The authors extend this literature to a novel context (urban refugees in the Global South), testing a model that incorporates other factors that may play a role (e.g. self-efficacy and gender). These findings are valuable to urban refugees, due to difficulties in re-building a sense of community and increased ICT access.

Empowerment of Urban Refugee Youths in Nairobi County, Kenya: A Socio-Economic Perspective

The ever-increasing rate of urbanization has led to a surge in the number of refugees and asylum seekers in the urban areas in the twenty first century. Much is not known whether these individuals can become self-empowered in coming years and avoid overreliance on humanitarian aid initiated through different projects. This study sought to establish the influence of socio-economic factors on empowerment of urban refugee youths in Nairobi County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to examine the influence of human capital development and financial capital development factors on empowerment of urban refugee youths. The study was grounded on the Empowerment and Assimilation theories. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The study’s target population was 2972 urban refugee youths aged between 18-26 years who were registered by UNHCR and RAS and lived in Nairobi County. The study’s sample size was 297. The study adopted proportionate stratified sampling techniques. Quantitative data was collected by use of research questionnaires and the data was coded by Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). The statistical tools of analysis used for descriptive data were arithmetic mean and standard deviation, with the variables attaining a composite mean ranging between 4.03 and 3.72 and standard deviation ranging between 0.966 and 1.127. The statistical tools of analysis used for inferential statistics was Pearson Correlation Coefficient, with the variables attaining a strong positive correlation ranging between 0.896 and 0.868. The study concluded that human capital development and financial capital development factors influence empowerment of urban refugee youths in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study recommended support organizations to engage more professionals to equip urban refugee youths with more relevant and numerous skills that will develop their human capital as well as increase funds that support urban refugee youths in starting their businesses in order for them to achieve financial capital development.

Mobile Health–Supported HIV Self-Testing Strategy Among Urban Refugee and Displaced Youth in Kampala, Uganda: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial (Tushirikiane, Supporting Each Other)

BackgroundHIV is the leading cause of mortality among youth in sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda hosts over 1.43 million refugees, and more than 83,000 live in Kampala, largely in informal settlements. There is limited information about HIV testing uptake and preferences among urban refugee and displaced youth. HIV self-testing is a promising method for increasing testing uptake. Further, mobile health (mHealth) interventions have been effective in increasing HIV testing uptake and could be particularly useful among youth.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of two HIV self-testing implementation strategies (HIV self-testing intervention alone and HIV self-testing combined with an mHealth intervention) in comparison with the HIV testing standard of care in terms of HIV testing outcomes among refugee/displaced youth aged 16 to 24 years in Kampala, Uganda.MethodsA three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial will be implemented across five informal settlements grouped into three sites, based on proximity, and randomization will be performed with a 1:1:1 method. Approximately 450 adolescents (150 per cluster) will be enrolled and followed for 12 months. Data will be collected at the following three time points: baseline enrollment, 8 months after enrollment, and 12 months after enrollment. Primary outcomes (HIV testing frequency, HIV status knowledge, linkage to confirmatory testing, and linkage to HIV care) and secondary outcomes (depression, condom use efficacy, consistent condom use, sexual relationship power, HIV stigma, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health stigma) will be evaluated.ResultsThe study has been conducted in accordance with CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines. The study has received ethical approval from the University of Toronto (June 14, 2019), Mildmay Uganda (November 11, 2019), and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (August 3, 2020). The Tushirikiane trial launched in February 2020, recruiting a total of 452 participants. Data collection was paused for 8 months due to COVID-19. Data collection for wave 2 resumed in November 2020, and as of December 10, 2020, a total of 295 participants have been followed-up. The third, and final, wave of data collection will be conducted between February and March 2021.ConclusionsThis study will contribute to the knowledge of differentiated HIV testing implementation strategies for urban refugee and displaced youth living in informal settlements. We will share the findings in peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04504097; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04504097.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/26192

Urban migrant and refugee solidarity beyond city limits

Cities known around the world as sanctuary, solidarity or refuge cities are resisting restrictive national migration and refugee policies and are seeking ways to accommodate migrants and refugees who lack support from the nation state. In this paper I examine urban solidarity approaches in Berlin and Freiburg in Germany, and Zurich in Switzerland. Interviews with key informants reveal that urban solidarity in these cities is not limited to including migrants and refugees living within the city’s boundaries. Rather, urban solidarity reaches beyond municipal boundaries to connect different places and scales in the form of inter-urban solidarity networks and initiatives that aim to enable migrants and refugees who are still abroad to arrive in the city. The complex geographies of urban migrant and refugee solidarity reach far beyond city limits.

Gender, transactional sex, and HIV prevention cascade engagement among urban refugee and displaced adolescents and youth in Kampala, Uganda

ABSTRACT HIV prevention needs among urban refugee and displaced youth engaged in transactional sex are understudied. We examined associations between transactional sex and the HIV prevention cascade among urban refugee/displaced youth in Kampala, Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a peer-driven sample of refugee/displaced adolescent girls and young women (n = 324) and adolescent boys and young men (n = 88) aged 16–24 living in Kampala’s informal settlements. We conducted gender-disaggregated multivariable linear and logistic regressions to examine associations between past 12-month transactional sex and: lifetime HIV testing, condom self-efficacy, and recent [past 3-month] consistent condom use. Among the 27% of young women reporting transactional sex, 63% reported HIV testing. In multivariable analyses with young women, transactional sex was associated with higher condom self-efficacy, increased consistent condom use, but not HIV testing. Among the 48% of young men reporting transactional sex, 50% reported HIV testing. In multivariable analyses with young men, transactional sex was associated with lower HIV testing but not with condom self-efficacy or consistent condom use. Young men were 68% less likely to report HIV testing if transactional sex engaged. Findings point to urgent HIV testing gaps among transactional sex engaged urban refugee/displaced youth and a need for gender-tailored HIV prevention strategies.

The Vital Role of Faith Communities in the Lives of Urban Refugees

The majority of the world’s refugees do not live in refugee camps, but in cities around the world. Realities for urban refugees are vastly different from the conditions of a refugee camp. Urban refugees lack the institutional supports of official refugee camps and often have minimal legal covering in their host cities. Without government support and the limited capacity of UNHCR to provide adequate help, it is left to citizens of the host cities to provide help. Kuala Lumpur (KL) is home to more than 150,000 refugees and even more asylum seekers. These population numbers could be overwhelming to a city without help from its citizenry. This paper will examine ways in which Christian churches have welcomed and helped this large refugee population when few others would help. Guided by a biblical command to welcome “the stranger”, churches have sacrificed greatly to impact the lives of refugees in several key areas: education, employment, health care, and spiritual vitality. Because faith communities operate outside of governmental and non-governmental bureaucratic structures, their work often goes unnoticed. The work of these faith communities in KL is not an isolated event but serves as one case study of similar work happening in cities all over the world.

“There We Are Nothing, Here We Are Nothing!”—The Enduring Effects of the Rohingya Genocide

Debates continue as to whether crimes committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar amount to genocide. This article will address this question, framed in the broad context of the Rohingya victimisation in Myanmar, but also the narrow context of the Rohingya refugee lived experience in Malaysia. The authors contend that the Rohingya are victims of genocide, and this is in part evidenced by the destruction of the Rohingya culture, including through assimilation (and therefore loss of group identity) in refugee destination countries, such as Malaysia. This analysis is based on the consideration of theories of genocide process and definition, international law, and qualitative data collected during extensive anthropological fieldwork by one of the authors with urban refugees in peninsular Malaysia.