ABSTRACT
In this chapter I ask what is the place of the camp in forced migration? I concentrate largely on situations of protracted displacement – enduring situations of displacement with no end in sight. I explore the camp in its multiple dimensions and over time by adopting Doreen Massey’s ‘progressive sense of place’. In the first section, I introduce different meanings and practices of the camp. I then describe the changing position, status and reputation of the camp as a way of organising people and assistance. I show how the status of the camp has changed, waxed and waned, over the past decades. Third, I address symbolic, political and practical meanings of the camp. In conclusion, I reflect on what kind of place the camp is and whether indeed it can be considered as a place at all.
