This article presents a summary of Volume 38, Issue 3 of the Oxford Review of Economic Policy, which focuses on forced migration. The issue explores: (1) what are the mechanisms by which refugees should be managed, and what frameworks should be used for supporting them? (2) how can policy support the integration of refugees into host economies and what are the likely consequences of this integration? (3) how are host communities likely to respond to the influx of refugees, and how can policy help to smooth this transition? And (4) what role can policy play to encourage resilience among refugees and IDPs and support their return?
JDC Literature Review
Results for: 2022
Older Refugees and Internally Displaced People in African Countries: Findings from a Scoping Review of Literature
This paper summarizes the peer-reviewed published research on older refugees and IDPs in Africa. The authors synthesize the main findings from this literature and compare it to the knowledge base in other regions. According to UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), people aged 60 years and older make up 4 percent of refugees and asylum-seekers and 6 percent of IDPs worldwide. According to UNHCR data, more than 400,000 displaced persons in Africa were aged 60 years and older in 2019.
Planning sustainable electricity solutions for refugee settlements in sub-Saharan Africa
This paper examines the electricity needs, potential technical solutions and associated costs for almost 300 refugee settlements in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that around 80 percent of refugees in camps burn biomass such as firewood for cooking and around 90 percent have limited or no access to electricity.
Refugee inflows, surplus farm labor, and crop marketization in rural Africa
This article investigates the long-term effects of refugee inflows on host farmers in Tanzania, focusing on effects in labor and crop markets. The Kagera region in the northwest of Tanzania received large-scale inflows of refugee from Burundi and Rwanda in the early 1990s. The Kagera region is remote and impoverished, and most local households engage in subsistence agriculture.
Regional Spillovers from the Venezuelan Crisis: Migration Flows and Their Impact on Latin America and the Caribbean
This paper evaluates the economic impacts of Venezuelan migrants on host countries and the implications for future policy responses. Since August 2022, nearly 7 million Venezuelans (23 percent of the population) have fled their country due to economic collapse (a contraction of over 75 percent of real GDP), deteriorating basic services, and insecurity.
Latin American Brotherhood? Immigration and Preferences for Redistribution
This paper examines the effect of immigration on social preferences for redistribution in Latin America, including the specific effect of large-scale Venezuelan displacement to Colombia. Most immigration in Latin American countries is intra-regional (70 percent in the 2010s), with migrants coming from countries with similar cultural backgrounds, including language and religion.
Food insecurity in Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago using the food insecurity experience scale
This article examines the prevalence of food insecurity among Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago and identifies the socio-demographic characteristics associated with food insecurity. As of 2018, there were almost 6,500 Venezuelans in need of international protection registered by UNHCR in Trinidad and Tobago. Unofficial estimates suggest that Trinidad and Tobago hosts over 40,000 Venezuelan migrants.
Refugee return and social cohesion
This article examines the impact of refugee returns on social cohesion in Burundi. Burundi experienced a major conflict, the mass displacement of refugees, and their mass return after more than a decade abroad. Burundi also has a scarcity of fertile land, which could contribute to competition and affect social cohesion when refugees return in large numbers.
Social-capital-based mental health interventions for refugees: A systematic review
Social capital can be defined as the “networks, norms and trust that facilitate action and cooperation for mutual benefit”. Social capital can provide a range of benefits, including: an exchange of favors and assistance, maintenance of group norms, stocks of trust,...
Habit Formation and the Misallocation of Labor: Evidence from Forced Migrations
This paper examines the long-term effects of large-scale forced displacement in Finland in the mid-20th century. The authors exploit the large-scale population resettlement of 430,000 people (11 percent of the population) following the cession of Finland’s eastern...