Hopeful for Homeland: Revisiting the Plight of the Crimean Tatars through the Lens of Internal Displacement

Abstract

Every day, people of all nationalities are displaced from their homes into other parts of their country or across international borders. While the plight of some individuals remains out of the world’s sight, other displaced groups have gained much more attention from the international community: their challenges are the subject of prominent international and national discussion. After the 2014 Russian occupation and annexation of Crimea, the autonomous republic of Ukraine, many Crimean Tatars – a Hanafi-Sunni Muslim community of Crimea – were forced to make the difficult decision of leaving their homes. When the first wave of individuals began to leave the peninsula to settle in other parts of Ukraine, they acquired the status of “Internally Displaced Persons” (IDPs). As a result of the international publicity that the conflict in Ukraine has received, the Crimean Tatars are gaining international attention and support as well, as the world is sympathizing with the population that has been forced out of their homeland. Despite this increasing awareness, there is currently an evident lack of concrete information about the specific challenges of those Crimean Tatars who have fled the peninsula after 2014. The fundamental theme of this thesis is to understand the Crimean Tatars through the angle and perspective of their experiences as contemporary IDPs, particularly focusing on their decisions to leave Crimea, their status as IDPs in Western Ukraine, and their future aspirations to return to Crimea. By exploring existing literature and expert reports on the situation of IDPs in Ukraine, combined with the primary evidence collected from semi-structured, anonymous, interviews with Crimean Tatar IDPs in Lviv, Ukraine in December 2016, this thesis contributes to answering the question, “What is the plight of the Crimean Tatar IDPs today?” Through a detailed analysis of primary interview evidence, this thesis attempts to close existing information gaps regarding the demographics of Crimean Tatar IDPs and establish specific categories for future research. First, I present an argument for how the Crimean Tatars’ extensive history with Russia has shaped their plight as IDPs in Ukraine today. Subsequently, I use primary interview findings in order to demonstrate that, in addition to the already established economic challenges that shape the plight of IDPs in Ukraine, including access to adequate housing and employment opportunities, Crimean Tatar IDPs in Lviv face less tangible concerns as a result of their distinct culture and traditions. The conclusion presents recommendations for the relevant authorities on how to address the less tangible concerns of Crimean Tatar IDPs in Lviv specifically (by increasing the role of local actors); furthermore, it provides two specific themes that should be the subject of future research and are essential to address the Crimean Tatars’ plight as IDPs in Ukraine and their future aspirations.