Back to where you once belonged A historical review of UNHCR policy and practice on refugee repatriation

The paper begins by examining the principle of voluntariness and provides a historical overview of the challenges that UNHCR has faced in translating that principle in practice. It goes on to consider the continued usefulness of the principle of voluntariness and asks whether safety is a more appropriate criteria on which to base UNHCR’s engagement in a repatriation operation. Finally, the paper examines how the cessation of refugee status is linked to policy and practice in relation to refugee repatriation. It ends by offering a number of conclusions on UNHCR’s engagement with the principles and practices of voluntary repatriation.