Anchors, archipelagos, and ports of departure: how resettlement shapes im/mobilities in Nyarugusu refugee camp, Tanzania

This article examines how the prospect of resettlement influences the migration plans and daily lives of encamped refugees. Using repeat surveys and interviews carried out with 77 refugee households in 2017-2023, we explore the consequences of the unfortunate ‘natural experiment’ of Nyarugusu refugee camp, where some Congolese refugees had substantial chances to be resettled while Burundian refugees were de facto barred from the opportunity. Participants depict resettlement as their favourite option in every single way; they are also acutely aware of their chance of being resettled and adjust their mobility plans accordingly. All feel stuck in the camp. Burundian refugees endure profound uncertainty and cast their hopes on moving to the ‘archipelago’ of refugee-hosting camps and cities in the region (yet rarely manage to do so). The possibility of resettlement anchors Congolese to the camp as they wait in a ‘port of departure’.