Abstract
Using the case of Karen refugees in Japan, this paper examines how a state-driven refugee resettlement policy resulted in refugees suffering under difficult conditions and how, in turn, this drove the existing ethnic community to become an active player in assisting resettled refugees to adapt, in contest with the state. Japan was the first Asian country to initiate a refugee resettlement program in 2010. However, the government failed to consult with other stakeholders, notably the ethnic community, causing difficulties for the refugees in adapting to their new life. In helping resolving this crisis, the Karen community emerged as a legitimate actor in the governance of these refugees. The current study highlights the contest between the state and ethnic communities over resettlement programs and contributes to the understanding of the structural formation that influences refugees in the early stage of resettlement.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1219-1234 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Journal of Asian and African Studies |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 Dec 1 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by the Yonsei University Future-leading Research Initiative of 2015 (2015-22-0154) and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2017S1A5A2A01027195).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2018.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Development
