We focus attention on understanding conditions under which refugees would prefer to return to their countries of origin. We contend the preferences and abilities of refugees should not be overlooked.
Those debating repatriation focus on the obligations and actions of host states and seemingly assume refugees hold uniform or unimportant opinions regarding if, and when, to return to their countries of origin. However, there are negative consequences to promoting repatriation including increasing levels of violations of non-refoulement Footnote 1 and growing numbers of refugees returning home before conditions are safe for them to do so (McKernan Reference McKernan2019 Schwartz Reference Schwartz2019). Accordingly, voluntary repatriation programs have been attempted in the wake of post-Cold War conflicts in Rwanda, Bosnia, Croatia, and Sudan. While all three may be viable under certain circumstances, voluntary repatriation has long been promoted by the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as the preferred solution (Barnett and Finnemore Reference Barnett and Finnemore2004 Hammerstad Reference Hammerstad2000). The international community promotes three durable solutions to refugee situations: integration of refugees into host countries, resettlement to third countries, and voluntary repatriation to countries of origin.
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