Towards Better (Territorial) Solutions for Displaced People: The Tibetan Model

Abstract

This article envisions alternatives for refugee camps, detention centres and precarious encampments by exploring the management of Tibetan refugee settlements, particularly in India. They have developed from encampments to unique settlements, forming a community some call the world’s most successful refugee community. In terms of existing alternative ideas to provide better placements for the displaced, these settlements share similarities with a vision of Refugia, which aims to increase refugees’ agency and end mass displacement through a network of autonomous places. The Tibetan model can predict some challenges and possibilities of Refugia and suggest improvements to the current refugee protection system.