In order to research a suitable case study, one could consider longevity and size of a camp. Mae La, a Burmese refugee camp in Thailand (originated 25 years ago, estimated size of 50,000 inhabitants on 2km2) is an interesting site as there was no formal planning or material distribution: it grew from a bottom up initiative with locally available materials. In age and population size, however, it is comparable to Almere Buiten.
The situation in the camps along the Burmese-Thai border is not likely to be resolved in the near future. With an unstable political situation and economical crises due to the impact of last year's cyclone Nargis, the next years are like to hold an even larger influx of refugees on top of the 150,000 currently residing in the camps (not to mention the informal refugees that have migrated to the larger cities.) Thailand is welcoming more refugees, however the country is still not accepting the permanence of the problem and considering relevant long term sustainable solutions.
The main problem that the camps face (besides boredom due to lack of freedom of movement or possibility of livelihood) is violence, material deprivation, family separation and identification issues.
"Their roofs were made of thick, dry leaves, and the walls of bamboo stems, cut in half longways and lined tightly together. The homes blanketed the foothills of a large mountain, whose gray stone cliff face made a stunning backdrop behind the camp. From the road, this massive collection of bungalows looked like a beautiful mountain city built of natural materials in the Thai forest. But from these winding pathways on the inside, this is no idyllic collection of huts. It is a crowded, trash-filled maze, where shoeless, dirty children run unattended and adults wander aimlessly with nothing to do." (escapeartist.com)
The main problem that the camps face (besides boredom due to lack of freedom of movement or possibility of livelihood) is violence, material deprivation, family separation and identification issues.
"Their roofs were made of thick, dry leaves, and the walls of bamboo stems, cut in half longways and lined tightly together. The homes blanketed the foothills of a large mountain, whose gray stone cliff face made a stunning backdrop behind the camp. From the road, this massive collection of bungalows looked like a beautiful mountain city built of natural materials in the Thai forest. But from these winding pathways on the inside, this is no idyllic collection of huts. It is a crowded, trash-filled maze, where shoeless, dirty children run unattended and adults wander aimlessly with nothing to do." (escapeartist.com)
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