Governing protracted displacement: what access to solutions for forcibly displaced people

Abstract

The governance of displacement and access to protection are closely linked to solutions for displaced people that refer to both the capability of displaced persons to rebuild their lives after displacement and the pportunities available to do so. Current policies to address displacement follow the (often artificial) division of governance structures for displacement. Available solutions are usually closely related to the classification of displaced persons into different categories. The qualification of a person as a refugee, an internal displaced person (IDP) or a labour migrant entails what kind of solutions provided by the international community are accessible and whether a person can rely on the support by a dedicated agency, or whether the person is left unsupported. Governance structures, however, often overlap and lead to significant gaps at the same time, leading to protracted displacement characterised by vulnerability, dependency and legal insecurity owing to continuous cycles of displacement and a lack of durable solutions.