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Voting with their feet: A review of refugee participation and the role of UNHCR in country of origin elections and other political processes

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Preface

The right to participate in political decision-making processes is recognized by the international community as a fundamental human right: "everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives... the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government." This paper considers the importance of refugee participation in country of origin political processes, and the extent to which UNHCR should seek to facilitate or promote refugee engagement in such activities.

The framing of contemporary international political order rests upon the notion that the liberal-democratic nation-state, personified by a government chosen by and accountable to its citizens, is a just and inclusive order that can protect fundamental rights. Yet refugee flight, by definition, indicates the failure of this model.

Refugees, whether persecuted as a result of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, are excluded (sometimes in a very deliberate manner) from the structures of political power in their country of origin. The search for solutions to refugee situations is thus in part a struggle of the politically excluded for political inclusion.

Researchers have frequently focused on the political identity of the refugee. However, previous studies have often tended to focus on the activities of so-called "refugee warriors", the "spoilers" of regional peace-building initiatives who turn to violence in order to assert their demands for political inclusion.

This paper does not look at that much discussed issue, but focuses instead on the development of UNHCR's role in facilitating or promoting the engagement of refugees in non-violent and civic country of origin political processes, including out-of-country voting.

This paper consists of five parts. In the first section, the nature and dynamics of political participation are considered. The importance of political activity in general to democratic ideals of government is examined, as is the specific importance of political participation - both symbolic and substantive - to displaced populations.

The second part of the paper looks briefly at UNHCR's past and present engagement with refugee politics. In the following section, the political and logistical challenges of refugee participation in country of origin elections are considered. The fourth section looks at other forms of peaceful political engagement, including emerging transnational political activities. These analyzes draw on material from a number of case studies, including but not limited to Eritrea (1993), Bosnia (1996), Liberia (1997 and 2002) Kosovo (1999), East Timor (1999), Afghanistan (2004, 2009), Iraqi (2005, 2010) and Southern Sudan (2010, 2011).

The fifth and final part of the paper offers a number of conclusions and recommendations on how UNHCR might further develop its role in relation to refugee participation in country of origin politics.