Refugeedom and Political Expression

Abstract

This chapter demonstrates how and why refugees expressed and asserted themselves politically by protesting their circumstances and demanding recognition. From the interwar era to post-colonial independence movements, refugees across different sites of displacement made themselves heard and advocated for their rights within the constraints of refugeedom. By analysing refugees’ interactions with states, international organizations, and host communities, the chapter unveils the multifaceted nature of refugees’ political engagement. Whether challenging colonial rule in South Asia or confronting communist regimes in Eastern Europe, refugees employed diverse strategies to assert political agency, from collective mobilization to individual advocacy. Some refugees opted for strategic invisibility to avoid reprisals while others actively embraced political activism, such as in refugee camps that became sites of solidarity and potential empowerment. In very different contexts, refugees exhibited a profound capacity for political imagination and resilience, and in the process challenged the expectations, conventions, and constraints of the refugee regime.