In this piece I reflect upon the link between displacement, refuge and urbanisation. I will start with a broader reflection on refuge today and its urbanising force by establishing some links between refugee camps and another quite different form of seeking refuge – gated communities, but especially its sublimated form, ecovillages. This sounds an unlikely comparison. However, when we think of the accepted definitions of refuge - as a sanctuary, a safe haven, a place that provides shelter or protection fromdanger or distress, or something to which one has recourse in difficulty – the links start to become clearer. Then, I will summarize the urbanisation process in and around the Meheba Refugee Camp (Zambia), which has been the nodal point of my research on borders, refuge and camps for the past seven years. The scenario in and around the camp with the springing up of a range of other kinds of settlement patterns that are also about seeking refuge, but for the wealthy elite and for what is left of wildlife, is, I argue, paradigmatic of abroader trend in which the question of refuge differentially drives urbanisation processes and territorial organisation.

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• Geografia Económica e Social - Ciências Sociais