Enhancing Self-Reliance In A Protracted Refugee Situation (Maratane Refugee Camp, Mozambique)

Although the environment in Maratane and the surrounding areas is theoretically very enabling of refugee self-reliance and local integration, a number of critical constraints were identified by the joint mission which prevented this transformation from occurring, thereby perpetuating dependence on external assistance. Broadly speaking, the constraints relate to: access to credit; productivity; market linkages; spatial-economic integration; protection/local integration.  • Access to credit: Although the local economy is based predominantly on agricultural production, the type of credit which has been offered to refugee/host community farmers in the past was not suited to their needs, in the sense that it did not consider the need for repayment schedules to be synchronized with the harvest cycle or have interest rates that are favorable. Another challenge is that farmers often do not have the collateral that is required in order to be considered eligible for a loan.  • Productivity: On the agricultural side, farmers from both communities have reported difficulties in accessing essential agricultural inputs – such as seeds/seedling, fertilizers and pesticides, while water availability and irrigation pose an additional challenge, not least because both of the camp’s dams have fallen into disrepair. A lot of local produce also falls short of basic quality standards. Agricultural productivity also has been restricted, to a large extent, by the overall shortage of land for cultivation, while not all of the land which has been made available to asylumseekers/refugees over the years is of good quality. As far as alternative/non-agricultural livelihoods are concerned, although a number of asylum-seekers/refugees and members of the host community have benefitted from vocational training, it does not appear to have been based on a robust market-driven approach or aligned to demand in the labor market.  Moreover, it has not always been possible for the recipients of vocational training to translate their learning into action owing to their extremely limited capital and asset base.  • Market linkages: A lot of what is produced by asylum-seeker/refugee and host community farmers is not market-competitive, in the sense that is does not meet the same standard in terms of quality and appearance as imported products and has a short shelf-life. Furthermore, although asylum-seeker/refugees are theoretically allowed to sell their produce on the market in Nampula City, transportation is a challenge and they often encounter bureaucratic constraints to obtain the necessary permission. As a result, they often have to rely instead on selling to intermediaries. To further compound matters, no formal system is in place whereby farmers can access up-to-date market information.  • Spatial-economic integration: Such has been the expansion of Nampula in the direction of the camp that the full physical integration of Maratane and the surrounding communities into the city now seems inevitable. Meanwhile, the government’s ambitious plans for infrastructural development in the region  are likely to gradually bring Maratane into the role of a satellite service centre for greater Nampula. Such changes have the potential to provide new opportunities to asylum-seeker/refugee and host communities in Maratane in the longer term, however they are also posing new challenges that require immediate attention. For instance, the rapid population growth that has been occurring in the region is placing available services under increasing strain. This reinforces the need for pro-active planning with a holistic approach to identify and define Maratane’s future role in a manner that is contextualized within the broader development dynamics of Greater Nampula.  • Protection/local integration: Although relations between the asylum-seeker/refugee and host community are generally quite good, some tensions are nonetheless present.  The market appears to be major flashpoint, with asylum-seekers/refugees having reported incidences of harassment, extortion and even physical violence. The increasing demand for basic social services in the camp that has resulted from rapid population growth the host community is another source of contention. Meanwhile, the majority of refugees who are legally eligible for naturalization are experiencing a lot of challenges, with the process proving to be quite slow  and involving fees that the refugees are not always able to afford.  This project outlined is designed to address all of these constraints and, in doing so, unlock all of the key structural bottlenecks that are currently preventing asylum-seeker/refugees from becoming more selfreliant and integrating further into the local community. UN-Habitat’s role is concentrated around the spatial-economic integration, but not limited.