Long-term psychological consequences of forced displacement: identity and belonging in Egypt's resettled Nubian community.

This study investigates the long-term psychological and identity consequences of forced displacement on the Nubian community resettled in Kom Ombo, Aswan, over six decades after the construction of the Aswan High Dam, one of the most significant cases of development-induced displacement in the Arab world. The study addresses two research questions: what are the psychological impacts of forced displacement on the sense of belonging among the Nubian community resettled in Kom Ombo, and what psychological and identity patterns does forced displacement reveal among the Nubian community, and how does cultural identity function as a mediator and moderator in the relationship between alienation and belonging. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining a quantitative survey (n = 382) with in-depth interviews (n = 30) and key informant interviews (n = 30). Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis, MANOVA, and mediation and moderation analyses, complemented by thematic analysis of qualitative data. Findings revealed four psychological dimensions of displacement-related distress and four distinct adaptation profiles. Persistent alienation was reported by 34.6%, and loss of inner security by 44.2%, while 47.9% reported partial identity loss, and 48.2% actively preserved the Nubian language. MANOVA identified education level (Wilks' Λ = 0.897, p = 0.001) and marital status (Wilks' Λ = 0.919, p = 0.001) as the only significant demographic predictors. A counterintuitive positive association between alienation and belonging was identified: higher alienation from mainstream society was associated with stronger attachment to the Nubian community (β = 0.250, p < 0.001). A significant indirect association between Cultural Identity and Belonging through Alienation was identified, with Alienation accounting for 26.5% of the statistical association (Sobel Z = 3.24, p = 0.001). Cultural Identity also significantly moderated the Alienation-Belonging relationship (β = -0.143, p = 0.028). Qualitative findings further illustrated that nostalgia, language preservation, and communal practices function as active strategies for cultural resistance and identity maintenance. The study concludes that post-displacement Nubian identity is dynamically negotiated between loss and resistance, and that cultural strength constitutes a genuine psychosocial resource. Differentiated interventions informed by psychological profiles and grounded in cultural recognition are recommended.