ABSTRACT
Despite the absence of suitable conditions for return in many cases, there continues to be a strong focus on the repatriation of refugees. Thus, over the last decade, the Office of the United Nations H i g h Commissioner for Refugees ( U N H C R ) has been under great pressure to facilitate and promote the return of refugees to the country of origin even when conditions are far from ideal. It has led to various forms of pressure or duress being brought to bear on refugees to return. 4 For instance, 'despite a well-established legal principle that refugee
repatriation should take place on a wholly voluntary basis and in conditions of safety and dignity, a substantial proportion of Africa's most recent returnees have gone back to their homes in conditions which do not meet these standards'.5
