Author: Madawi Al-Rasheed
Publisher/Publication: Journal of Refugee Studies
Volume/Issue: 7
DOI/ISBN: 10.1093/jrs/7.2-3.199
Drawing on theoretical development in the field of migration studies, this paper examines the relevance of the 'myth of return' to refugee groups, focusing on Iraqi Arabs and Iraqi Assyrians. It rejects the assumption that refugees' attachment to their homeland and their desire to return to it are 'natural' givens. The myth of return and its predominance among a refugee community are dependent on past refugee experiences and the relationship of the group with its country of origin.