Redemptio pro Purgatorium : right to work inside ‘forgotten’ refugee camps and the role of microfinance. The case of the Sahrawi refugee camps

Abstract

In the wake of some of the gravest humanitarian crises, the world witnesses a growing number of refugees. A lot of the challenges that come along with this sudden rise are still to be addressed by the globalised world. Many of these vulnerable people, in the face of no other protection, end up seeking sanctuary from violence in places where they believe it cannot penetrate: refugee camps. However, what was designed as a temporary solution, far too many times, ends up being the sole alternative in the face of postponed peace. Intractability generates a potential for lack of media and donor attention. Moreover, this sprawling phenomenon of “forgotten crises” is leaving a great number of people on limbos of legal uncertainty and no future aspirations, causing not only despair but also human rights violations. In this sense, the focal point of this research is to explore what are the bundles of rights existing for refugees and within the premises of refugee camps. The crux is to understand the link between right to work and the possible unlocking of poverty cycles endorsed through substantive access to microfinance projects. As incontestable illustration of an urgent need of a revolutionary approach on livelihood inside intractable refugee camps, the 40-year deadlock Sahrawi refugee camps, will constitute our case study.