Self-reliance in action and self-reliance inaction: urban refugee resilience in Addis Ababa

Abstract

Limitations in assessing the implementation of refugee self-reliance have been problematized. This qualitative study explores the self-reliance and resilience of adult refugee residents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It employed the action-inaction dichotomous concept as an analytical lens for gathering data through key-informant interviews, in-depth interviews, group discussions, and participant observation, followed by triangulation and analysis using the framework technique. The study found that Ethiopia’s refugee proclamation constrained refugee self-reliance by treating refugees as preferred foreign nationals and recognizing their right to work only in specific scenarios. However, refugees demonstrated resilience by bypassing curtailed work provisions and activating self-reliance through remittances, social ties, and cultural assets. Participants faced challenges such as legal restrictions, limited communal support, financial constraints, scarce resources, emigration fervor, dependency syndrome, and policy-practice gaps. Addressing these gaps may broaden the prospects for refugee self-reliance and resilience in Addis Ababa. Notably, the study illustrates the applicability of the action-inaction framework to contextualize existing self-reliance initiatives.