The Consequences of Forced Migration for Host Communities in Africa

Abstract

This paper reviews the evidence on the consequences of hosting forced migrants (i.e. refugees or internally displaced persons) in Africa. Overall, the presence of forced migrants is positive for local economies, but there are multiple consequences of hosting displaced populations and some could be negative (e.g. environmental damage, competition for resources, labour market displacement). The implications of hosting forced migrants are also likely to be different across sectors of the host population and several papers identify 'winners' and 'losers' among the host community members. Finally, the impacts of hosting forced migrants can have long-lasting consequences and change the hosting communities even after the forced migrants have left. The paper also identifies several key gaps in the literature. Among these gaps, the lack of research on the consequences of hosting internally displaced persons and the scarce evidence on the implications of refugee repatriation for communities of return standout as particularly important.

How to Cope with a Refugee Shock? Evidence from Uganda

“…Approximately 85 percent of the global refugees are hosted in developing countries (UNHCR, 2020). Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) hosts about one-third of them (Ruiz & Vargas-Silva, 2017). UNHCR (2019) asserts that the number of refugees in the region increased threefold between 2010 and 2019.…”

“…There has been a booming literature assessing the consequences of hosting refugees (Meyer et al, 2011;Ruiz & Vargas-Silva, 2017;Maystadt et al 2019). Although the literature highlights that refugees can have a positive effect on economic development but with likely distributional consequences, the evidence from individual studies is mixed (Ruiz and Vargas-Silva 2017;Maystadt et al 2019;Verme and Schuettler 2021). In their review, Verme and Schuettler (2021) argue that the direction of impact depends on which economic dimension is studied.…”

“…Alix-Garcia et al (2018) is one exception since they use cross-sectional data on consumption to validate their results based on night light indexes. Other studies on SSA using longitudinal data on consumption include Maystadt and Verwimp (2014), Ruiz and Vargas-Silva (2017), and Maystadt and Duranton (2018) on the Kagera region of Tanzania;…”

Securitization and Forced Migration in Kenya: A Policy Transition from Integration to Encampment

“…Despite being a major point of origin and asylum region, the literature with a distinct focus on forced migration in East Africa is comparatively limited given that more attention has been directed towards the study of forced migration using a continental approach (Ruiz and Vargas‐Silva 2018; DeJesus 2018; Bayar and Aral 2019). Those that have attempted to study the region, have equally narrowed down their focus on the Horn of Africa (Somalia and Eritrea) (Wilson and Renzaho 2015).…”

The Effect of Hosting 3.4 Million Refugees on the Health System in Turkey and Infant, Child, and Elderly Mortality Among Natives

“…This point is also made by in their review article. Regarding the literature on the impact of refugees on health outcomes of natives,Ruiz et al (2017) point out that the scarcity of data and the difficulty of measuring the potential effects and interpreting the results as causal effects of refugees are the major obstacles.5 See, for instance,Akresh et al (2012),Avogo and Agadjanian (2010),Bundervoet et al (2009),Guerrero-Serdán (2009),Guha-Sapir and Gijsbert (2004),Hargreaves et al (2004),Khawaja (2004),Madi (2000),Minoiu and Shemyakina (2014),Singh et al (2005aSingh et al ( , 2005b,Verwimp and van Bavel (2005).…”