This paper examines how policing of vulnerable social groups such as refugees impacts on their livelihood strategies in their host countries. It is argued that inadequate legal frameworks, hostile host communities and unfriendly policing exacerbate the plight of poor urban refugees in a number of ways. First, poor urban refugees rights of movement and association can be highly circumscribed by police thereby preventing them from accessing basic needs. Secondly, refugees are an easy target of extortion from corrupt police officers who either collect money themselves or fail to stop individuals who run such rackets. Thirdly, use of excessive violence during police raids not only causes physical harm necessitating medical attention, but also reinforces the fear urban refugees have in venturing into the streets of their livelihoods. Finally, the destruction or confiscation of identity documents causes great inconvenience to poor urban migrants and their families by preventing them from accessing remittances and services that require identification. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

Policing Forced migration Asylum seekers human rights Refugees poverty

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