Staying as Close as Security Allows: Destination Preferences of Displaced Burundians of a Higher Socio-Economic Status

This article investigates what determines where well-resourced, displaced people want to go and what role socio-economic status plays in that decision process. The study is based on interviews with 19 displaced Burundians of a higher socio-economic status, residing in Belgium or Sweden at the time of interviews. Proximity to Burundi emerged as a significant factor in their destination wishes. Proximity was linked to a longing for home but was also connected to status aspirations. Insecurity, however, was closely linked to proximity to Burundi, which meant that the longing for proximity to home had to be weighed against potential security threats.