The Myth of Self-Reliance. Naohiko Omata

Interview, Buduburam, May 2009.

2. These vocational training programmes were provided by UNHCR and its implementing partners as free services. However, because the programmes did not cover the cost of materials, refugees who were not able to purchase them had to sit and watch other people’s training. During my research I frequently observed such cases.

3. Interview, Accra, September 2008.

4. Interview, Accra, July 2009.

5. According to the sub-regional refugee coordinator of the US Embassy in Ghana, at the point of this study the only resettlement criterion to be applied to Liberian refugees wanting to move to the United States was family reunification, but new applications had already been suspended since 2006 due to recurrent fraud. Another possibility for migrating to the United States was to apply for an immigration visa, but this option was only available for refugees who had either parents, children or a spouse already living there.

6. See Fiddian-Qasmiyeh (2011) for the role of faith-based organizations in assisting refugees.

7. According to my interviews, a significant number of refugees first sought asylum in Ivory Coast, but they were forced out of the country because of intensified insecurity due to its internal conflict and because of acute animosity towards Liberians due to Charles Taylor’s involvement in the conflict.

8. Interview, Accra, June 2009.

9. Interview, Buduburam, January 2009.

10. See Holzer (2012) for details of the refugee demonstrations.

11. Interview, Accra, August 2008.

12. Interview, Accra, July 2009.