Lydiate is our home of last resort: Perceptions of place among the poverty-stricken, infirm and invalid migrants in an informal settlement in Zimbabwe

This paper examines the concept of "home" among (Lydiatians) – Malawian descendants staying in Lydiate informal settlement in Zimbabwe, focusing on its most vulnerable residents: the infirm, invalid, and impoverished migrants. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, this study probes how socio-economic and health-related challenges profoundly shape these migrants' perceptions of home. Contrary to traditional views in diaspora and migration studies that emphasize fluid and transnational identities, findings reveal that for these individuals, home is not a haven but a "home of last resort"—as the settlement becomes the ultimate fallback, a place where they are forced to reside because other options are either unattainable or non-existent. Here home is imbued with a sense of resignation and inevitability, where personal agency and choice are markedly diminished. The constraints imposed by illness and poverty not only restrict physical movement but also curtail opportunities for improving their living conditions, thereby cementing their stay in Lydiate as permanent and unchangeable. The study challenges the conventional fluid conceptualizations of home but also highlight the static and imposed nature of home for people living under extreme constraints. The implications of these findings are significant for migration policy and urban development strategies, particularly as they align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty, health, well-being, and sustainable cities. The paper highlights the urgent need for targeted policies that address the specific needs of marginalized groups and recommends inclusive urban planning and migration policy reforms to support the health, welfare, and dignity of these populations. Ultimately, this research contributes to a broader discourse on migration, urban poverty, and informal settlement dynamics, stressing the critical need to understand and respond to the complex realities faced by disenfranchised communities in urban peripheries.