UNDP Crisis Prevention and Recovery Programme

Local Settlement Programme for East Timorese Refugees in Indonesia
 

The two sides of resettlement

Host community members must be involved in decisions about settlement

When a conflict situation creates a vast number of refugees and displaced persons, attention is often overwhelmingly directed at the plight and future of these people. Yet often comparatively little attention is given to the nature and welfare of the places where they settle. When refugees voluntarily chose not to return to their places of origin, they must be accommodated within new communities, hence the social and economic impact that resettlement programmes have upon local communities must also be considered.

Following the Popular Consultation on the Status of East Timor in 1999, massive social disturbances occurred. As a direct result, some 290,000 people were displaced to neighboring West Timor province. While the majority of these people have since returned to Timor Leste, thousands of families have opted to remain in Indonesia. There is a need to ensure that the settlement of these families occurs in a way that contributes to the sustainable development of former refugees and communities alike.

The importance of partnerships

Following a series of consultations with Government and other stakeholders, a local settlement programme was developed to support the settlement of refugees who voluntarily opted to remain in Indonesia. The local settlement programme is a joint effort of the government, UNDP, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), international donor governments, and other local stakeholders. Within this partnership, UNDP is supporting the Ministry of Settlements and Regional Infrastructure (KIMPRASWIL) in identifying appropriate settlement areas, ascertaining community support, and providing grants for community development activities to ensure that conditions for sustainable settlement are fostered.

Sustainable integration into new communities

The objectives of UNDP engagement in this process are four-fold. First, the programme seeks to ensure that host communities are actively consulted and involved in decisions about settlement of refugees. Second, the programme aims to ensure that the physical infrastructure and services, such as health and education, can support the new residents and communities alike. Third, the programme seeks to ensure that the settlement process is undertaken in an environment of cooperation and peace, to minimize risk of possible future disturbance. The fourth goal is to enhance government capacities in the planning and implementation of community-based local settlement programmes.

Without efforts to support the capacity of communities to integrate refugees on a sustainable basis, there are risks that settlement may create negative social and economic impacts. Equally including the voices of both refugees and host communities in this resettlement process can prevent such negative outcomes. The experience of the Government of Indonesia with support from UNDP in the Local Settlement Programme can serve as an important model for future resettlement programmes in the country.