Unlocking Protracted Displacement: Central America's "Success Story" Reconsidered

During the 1980s and early 1990s, more than three million Central Americans were uprooted by interlinked civil wars and rampant human rights violations. This article considers “top-down” and “bottom-up” contributions to resolving this protracted displacement situation, which is often heralded as a success story. At the regional and international levels, the pursuit of solutions was characterised by unprecedented levels of cooperation; innovative protection and assistance initiatives; and openness to a range of durable solutions. At the sub-State level, the mobilisation of forced migrants and the development of solidarity networks have been hailed as triumphs of grassroots activism. However, this case is far from a straight-forward success. Access to protection and support was highly uneven, with only a fraction of forced migrants benefitting from international assistance. Scores of displaced persons who embraced return and internal resettlement opportunities were exposed to violence and discrimination. This analysis underscores the importance of synergy between “top-down” and “bottom-up” efforts to resolve displacement; the advantages for displaced populations of local organizing and international networking; the need to address justice claims and long-term development concerns alongside the promotion of durable solutions; the value of equitable access to support and choice among durable solutions; and the ambivalent, under-examined role of undocumented migration in the evolution and resolution of this protracted displacement situation.