Refugees’ Livelihood Strategies in a Setting of Long-term Encampment: A Case Study of Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi

Overview

Focusing on the prolonged nature of displacement, this study by Emmanuel Kanike investigates how refugee youth in Dzaleka build economic lives despite the constraints of the encampment policy. It provides a detailed look at the informal economy and the creative strategies used by young people to secure their futures.

Key Focus Areas

• Protracted Displacement: Challenges of building a life in a “temporary” camp that has existed for decades.
• Youth Agency: How young refugees innovate and find economic niches.
• Legal Barriers: The impact of Malawi’s restrictive “right to work” and movement policies on youth livelihoods.
• Uncertainty Navigation: The psychological and practical ways youth manage the instability of camp life.