Causes of Refugee Crisis
Ivory Coast has experienced significant refugee crises in the past twenty years. Much of the early contributors to these crises have resulted from ethnic and civil conflict. In 1993, Ivory Coast's first president Felix Houphouët-Boigny died in office resulting in his successor, Henri Konan Bedié, taking power. What followed this transition of power was a time of growing ethnic tensions between the mostly-Muslim north of the country and the mostly-Christian south. Raised tensions led to a military coup on December 24, 1999, which was then followed by the removal of the leader of the military coup, Robert Guei. The election of a new leader,Ethnic Tensions
The two candidates for the 2010 Ivory Coast election represented two ethnic groups. Importantly the major electoral controversy of this election came in the form of discredited votes. The overwhelming majority of discredited votes came from the mostly Muslim north of the country which had already been suffering economy from controversial cocoa policies.Atrocities and Crimes of the 2011 Ivorian Crisis
Though the civil war started in 2002 shortly came to an end further troubles that would increase the amount of forced migration of Ivorians would soon follow In 2010, President Laurent Gbago refused to give up his position after he lost the presidential election toEconomic Factors
Further continuing the Ivorian refugee crisis, was the continued decrease of the IvorianInternational Aid During Refugee Crisis
Involvement of International Peacekeeping Forces
In response to both the 2002 Ivorian Civil War and the 2011 Ivorian Crisis, United Nations peacekeeping forces were quickly sent to Ivory Coast in an effort to protect citizens. Furthermore, French forces joined the United Nations peacekeeping mission. Initially these forces were neutral, yet when the United Nations formally recognized Alassane Ouattara as the rightfully elected president, the peacekeeping forces turned towards aiding Ouattara's military. This move brought controversy in the international community with countries such as Russia and South Africa publicly labelling the move as an overstep in authority.Ivorian Refugees in Foreign Countries
Humanitarian Impacts
In 2008, it was measured that over 45,000 Ivorians had been forced to internally move away from violence. By 2011, that number increased to over 300,000 people who had been forced to move inside Ivory Coast. Before 2011, over 30,000 Ivorian refugees had relocated to neighboring West-African countries such as Liberia, Togo, and Ghana. This number skyrocketed further in throughout 2011, where it is estimated that over 150,000 Ivorians sought refuge in Liberia. Overall, it is estimated that at least 160,000 Ivorians fled to nearby West-African countries.Personal Cost
Research into the personal impact caused by trauma due to the Ivorian refugee crisis has shown insights into the personal aspects of humanitarian crises. Ivorian refugees in Togo have been found to have clinical post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at very high rates. In a study of 87 refugees 86% of respondents qualified as clinically having PTSD. The process of assimilation into a foreign society is one that has been found to be challenging for refugees. Immigrants often seen as culturally, ethnically, or religiously different have reported more difficult assimilation experiences. Conflict between local traders/industry leaders and incoming refugees has been observed in countries such asFuture Implications
The restructuring of Ivory Coast's government has sought to increase legitimacy. However, this push for increased legitimacy has come without an equal push for improved social dynamics. Instead, it has led to a country that is increasingly undemocratic in its institutions. In the aftermath of the 2002 civil war, the government of Ivory Coast attempted to implement a Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration(DDR) program aiming to secure the country's political and social stability. This DDR program quickly took the form of a politically motivated group that aimed to further certain agendas. This past failure of a reintegration process led to increased isolation of Ivorian refugees in neighboring countries. More recently, following the 2011 Ivorian Crisis, increased levels of political arrests (including over 200 during 2017–2018) and rights restrictions have again led to a postwar state that promotes an unwelcoming environment to thousands of Ivorian refugees. Increasing levels of protection by decreasing these politically motivated arrests and attacks for Ivorians refugees is a major factor in getting more Ivorians to repatriate. In 2012, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) initiated a weekly program with the goal of repatriation for Ivorian refugees. The operation assisted in repatriating 15,000 refugees from Liberia. However, by the end of the operation there were still nearly 80,000 Ivorian refugees estimated to still be in Liberia. In 2021, the UNHCR estimated that a there remained around 91,000 Ivorian refugees across the world with a majority (51,000) in West Africa and a significant minority (22,000) in Europe. The UNHCR also estimated that around 60% of Ivorian refugees who had fled the country during times of crisis had decided to repatriate.References
{{Reflist Refugees History of Ivory Coast