Development projects displace over ten million people annually – a startling statistic with severe consequences for the affected populations. Why have resettlement guidelines, drawn-up by global institutions, had such limited success in averting these catastrophic effects? Why do resettlement projects fail? Research by the Refugee Studies Centre focuses on two crucial problems: the unintended transformation of policy in the process of administration and implementation; and the dual role of the state as both agent of resettlement and protector of citizens’ rights.