Return in dignity: a neglected protection challenge [RSC Working Paper, no.40]

The first section of this article tracks the emergence of provisions on safe and dignified return in international law, peace agreements, UN documents and speeches made by the UNHCR since 1978. The second section examines key theoretical perspectives on dignity, and addresses the insights these theories hold regarding return.

Although the theoretical perspectives on this issue are diverse, the author argues that from them we can distil at least two key components of a dignified return: first, the principle of refugee choice, and second, the need to redress the injustices that cause and characterise displacement.