Information and Repatriation: The Case of Mozambican Refugees in Malawi

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Abstract
The way that refugees perceive conditions at home has been demonstrated to be of central importance in the repatriation decision. In this context, this article examines how refugees in exile receive, evaluate and use information from home in the decision whether or not to repatriate. A theoretical model for the interaction between information and repatriation is first elaborated. This model was tested in the context of Mozambican refugees in Malawi in 1992, and the findings of this empirical research are next presented. In the final section, analysis demonstrates how a focus on information can provide an insight into the repatriation process, although it is clearly one of a multitude of factors involved in the decision-making process. In addition, however, the supply of information is identified as one way that the international community might facilitate the selfrepatriation of refugees. Finally, at a more conceptual level, a focus on information engenders a critical comparison between the repatriation of refugees and the return of other types of migrant

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