ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the emergence of several distinct ‘regimes’ that have appeared to ‘manage’ different categories of displacement. The refugee regime is the most mature, while others are incipient and their institutional architectures are still emerging. It considers some of the definitions and underlying assumptions of displacement, highlighting some of the uncertainties associated with core concepts. The chapter reviews the evolution of four separate ‘regimes’ at various stages of development, including the one for refugees as well as incipient regimes for people internally displaced by conflict, development, and climate change and natural disasters. Then the chapter considers some emerging themes on the displacement agenda, including climate change and urbanization. Policymakers and practitioners often conceive of the experience of displacement as the physical geographic movement of individuals and households.
