Tensions and coexistence

Host narratives of refugee presence in Nakivale, Uganda

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12212475
AutoresIngunn Bjørkhaug (0000-0002-8962-2740, Fafo , 0560 Oslo, autor correspondente), Guri Tyldum (0000-0002-4829-615X, Fafo , 0560 Oslo), Priver Namanya (0000-0001-8929-5471, Mbarara University of Science and Technology), Petra Namanya (Independent Consultant , 40301 Mbarara)
Ano2025
Volume38
Fascículo3
Páginas541-553
Data de publicação2025-06-18
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Refugee Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0951-6328 • E-ISSN: 1471-6925
EditoraOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/jrs/feaf042
OpenAlexW4412406610
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas31

Whether refugees are met with resistance or acceptance by the host population is critical to the trajectory of refugee adaptations. This article analyses the narratives of members of the Ugandan host community living in and around the Nakivale Refugee Settlement, exploring key elements in positive and negative narratives of refugee presence. We show that members of the host population often recognize the economic and social benefits of refugee presence and take pride in Uganda’s reputation as a hospitable country offering refugee protections. However, the same respondents also expressed concerns about resource competition, perceived inequalities in policies, and the need for greater fairness. This study challenges narratives that attribute host resistance solely to misinformation or xenophobia and highlights the importance of addressing structural inequities. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews with host community members, conducted in 2022. These findings contribute to debates on sustainable refugee governance and refugee–host coexistence

Biology · Business · Narrative · Political science · Population · Racism · Refugee · Resistance (ecology · Settlement (finance · Sociology · Xenophobia · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Ecology · Gender Studies · Law