Amore, Katia (2005) Refugees and return : a comparative study of Kosovar Albanians in Italy and the UK. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis, through a comparative study of Kosovar Albanian refugees in the UK and
Italy, develops an understanding of refugees' attitudes towards return and identifies
the factors that influence their decision-making process through the analysis of their
interaction with the country of origin and the society of reception.
It formulates a theoretical approach to the study of refugee repatriation based on
Archer's form of sociological realism and her morphogenetic model, while also drawing
on previous studies of refugee flight, settlement and return, which argue for the
advantage of studying refugee specific issues as part of the whole chain of events that
characterise the experience of exile. As such, it represents a contribution towards the
theoretical understanding of refugees in general and refugee repatriation in particular.
The case study is grounded on this theoretical approach and analyses refugees' perspectives
on return within the proposed frame. It is based upon a qualitative study through
fieldwork with refugees in both countries of exile and in this respect marks a distinctive
contribution to the study of refugees in the UK and in Italy in general, and to the study
of refugees' approach to return in particular.
The thesis dismisses the predominant assumption of governments that' all refugees want
to return' and concludes that refugees' attitudes towards return depend on a range of
factors: their relationship with the country of origin, their interaction with the country
of exile and their personal background. More significantly, it demonstrates the linkages
between these factors and the time and modality of their flight, their interaction with the
reception, integration and repatriation policies of the country of exile and their relationship
with the conflict and society in the country of origin. In this respect, it represents
a contribution to existing studies of refugee repatriation through the development of a
more sophisticated account of what influences the decision-making process of refugees
vis-a-vis return.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Refugees -- Kosovo (Republic), Refugees -- Great Britain, Refugees -- Italy, Albanians -- Kosovo (Republic), Repatriation -- Kosovo (Republic)
Official Date:	February 2005
Dates:	Date Event February 2005 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations (Economic and Social Research Council)
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Joly, Danièle
Sponsors:	University of Warwick ; Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC) ; UK SOCRATES-ERASMUS Council
Extent:	xix, 370 p.
Language:	eng

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