4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions
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Item Has the CRRF helped host countries to adequately address the needs of refugees? A case study on Uganda and Kenya(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Tshuma, TruthThe prevalence of war, famine and political instability on the African continent has resulted in large scale migration into neighbouring countries. The long-lasting effects of these conditions have resulted in protracted refugee situations and host countries have reached the stage of being overburdened by hosting refugees. The New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants (2016) seeks to address this challenge by encouraging host states to integrate refugees into their national development goals through the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). By so doing, host countries stand to conjointly address the needs of refugees while also addressing the needs of the host community. This is made possible through co-joined efforts of the international community in supporting host countries with funding. Additionally, through this process, the vision of the CRRF is that refugees will eventually become self-reliant through the opportunities provided by the host countries. This paper investigates whether the CRRF has managed to assist host countries to adequately address the needs of refugees. Having used Uganda and Kenya as the main case studies, the results suggest that the CRRF has partially addressed the needs of refugees. The identified shortfall being that there is inadequate funding, as such, the impact of the CRRF is seen only in a select few situations. The main purpose of this study is to encourage policy development. Future research should consider looking into the reasons behind the lack of international commitment. This will be helpful towards finding means to address the root causes for policy developers.Item Cultural memories and place-identity: a case study of Syrian refugees’ resettlement and acculturation strategies in Egypt(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Fahmy, Randa; Elleh, NnamdiFocusing on the Syrian refugees in Egypt—the aftermath of the 2011 public uprising, and the so called “Arab Spring”, or the “Jasmine Revolution”—this thesis explores the interaction of four main social factors influencing Syrian refugees place identity in the host country, Egypt. The first factor is the circumstances that caused the displacement of Syrians to become refugees in Egypt. The second factor is the refugees’ production of architectonic elements in the host country that are ideologically presumed to be ‘authentic’ architectural cultural heritage from their homeland. The presumed authentic architectural culture manifests as territorialisation in the host country for the protection of Syrian refugees’ identity. The third factor is the ‘globalisation’ forces that blend commercially inspired diverse trendy architectural styles into universal interchangeable consumables while ignoring contextual and cultural specificity. The fourth factor is the elucidation of what was realised when the three factors—the refugees, presumed authentic architectural culture, and globalisation forces—come together in the host country. Preliminary studies suggest that Syrian refugees maintain interactive tensions among the perceived original homeland architectural cultural identity, globalisation forces, and the necessity to modify the presumed original culture to adjust and settle in the host country. Examining the intersections of these four factors is the topic of this thesis. It is also observed that refugees tend to conceptualise authentic heritage ideology in placemaking to maintain an assumed cultural- identity in these globalising times of displacements and movements. Thus, in the effort to realise the assumed authentic architectural cultural heritage in the host country, Syrian refugees’ placemaking in Egypt defaults into another form of territorialisation that is inspired by architectural cultural memories from their homeland. Territorialisation disaggregates, personalises, and distorts the image of cultural identity of the places where refugees dream to be because it motivates them to be distinguished from their host culture while at the same time seeking to assimilate into the host country. This irony and the conflict of wanting to belong to the host country but, at the same time, wanting to be separate by retaining their Syrian identity, is the core of the study. Also, this thesis uses the architectural production of Syrian refugees in the host land, Egypt, in examining how architectural cultural memories are used for recreating personalised places of displaced groups. It is observed that the refugees present the personalized new creations in the host country as their “authentic” architectural culture purely on ideological bases.Item Social capital and the reawakening of social action among political refugees: a literature review with conceptual framework(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-05) Costa, Bruna Capinã Botelho; Booysen,FrederikThis proposal aims to explore the role of social capital in the awakening of social action among political refugees, using a literature review. This research seeks to inform public policies and make recommendations regarding the reception and integration of refugees in host nations. The focus is specifically on political refugees, considering the dynamics of migration in the twenty-first century. Through the utilization of a conceptual framework, a holistic understanding of complex systems is sought, thus enabling the identification of further avenues for research exploration. Recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of refugee issues, this study also acknowledges the significance of considering social, political, and economic factors impacting social actions among political refugees. In conclusion, the development of social capital among refugees necessitates the establishment of supportive networks, intercultural exchange, community participation, access to education and employment, provision of social support services, trust and cooperation, empowerment of refugee leaders, awareness-raising, combating stereotypes, and continuous evaluation and adaptation. Implementing these measures can foster inclusive and resilient environments that prioritize the well-being and dignity of political refugees, regardless of their backgroundItem Caught in a gap? An examination and human rights assessment of immigration detention laws and practices in South Africa(2013-03-19) Tay, RoannaAbstract: This study examines the laws and practices relating to immigration detention in South Africa. It provides an in-depth examination of the legislation, with reference to known state practices and cases where migrants have been subjected to prolonged and repeated periods of immigration detention. The study highlights gaps in South African law that contribute to certain categories of migrants being especially vulnerable to immigration detention. Four categories are identified: (1) asylum seekers; (2) persons with difficulty obtaining travel documents; (3) stateless person; and (4) persons subject to other prohibitions against refoulement. The study offers recommendations for legislative reforms to fill the gaps in the law that contribute to these migrants’ vulnerability to immigration detention