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Despite mixed empirical evidence, refugees have been blamed for spreading conflict in the countries that receive them. This paper hypothesizes that such a relationship largely depends on the resulting change in ethnic composition of refugee-hosting areas. To test this, this paper investigates changes in diversity in refugee-hosting areas across 23 countries in sub-Saharan Africa between 2005 and 2016. The paper then assesses the likelihood of conflict in relation to the changing level of ethnic fractionalization and ethnic polarization. Ethnic fractionalization measures the probability that two individuals drawn at random from a society will belong to two different ethnic groups and thus increases with the number of ethnic groups present. Ethnic polarization captures antagonism between individuals and is maximized when the society is divided into two equally sized and distant ethnic groups. Refugee polarization is found to exacerbate the risk of conflict, with a one standard deviation increase in the polarization index increasing the incidence of violent conflict by 5 percentage points. Such an effect corresponds to a 10 percent increase at the mean. The opposite effect is found for the fractionalization index. Additional analyses are also conducted based on individual data. Ethnic polarization increases the likelihood of experiencing physical assault by 2.1 percentage points. Inversely, the equivalent change in the ethnic fractionalization index decreases the likelihood of experiencing physical assault by 1.9 percentage points. Similar effects are found for interpersonal crime. The results should not be interpreted as evidence that refugees per se impact the likelihood of violence. Indeed, there is no evidence of a significant correlation between the number of refugees and the occurrence of conflict. Instead, the analysis points to the risk of conflict when refugees exacerbate ethnic polarization in the hosting communities. In contrast, a situation where refugee.

Refugees.

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This paper examines the influence of gender inequality on poverty among Syrian refugees in Jordan between 2013 and 2018. Two waves of Home-Visit surveys, collected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, are analyzed to track the evolution of poverty among Syrian refugees in Jordan. To compare changes in poverty between female- and male-headed households, the paper uses relative comparisons of deciles in the expenditure distribution and quantile regressions. The analysis adjusts the poverty measure for economies of scale as the cost per person of maintaining a given standard of living may fall as household size rises. The findings show that the spending distribution has shifted over time, negatively affecting female-headed households. In 2013, female-headed households below the median had lower expenditure than male-headed households. In 2018, this pattern occurs in all deciles. The findings also show small differences between poverty rates of female- and male-headed households whether the poverty measure is adjusted for economies of scale or not. Regardless of the poverty measure, the poverty gender gap has increased over time, with female-headed households experiencing poverty more intensely. Female single caregivers remain at the most risk of falling into poverty when compared with other types of households and over time. This approach can help policy makers design more effective programs of assistance that respond to gender-based differences in vulnerability to poverty and find durable solutions for displaced populations.

Refugees.

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Situations of forced displacement create unique challenges for social cohesion because of the major disruption of social dynamics among both displaced persons and host communities. This paper uses a sequential mixed method approach to analyze the relationship between hosting displaced persons and perceptions of social cohesion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. First, participatory research methods in focus groups empowered participants to produce a locally driven definition of social cohesion. The results from these exercises inform the quantitative assessment by dictating measurement strategies when analyzing original surveys. Combining almost 50,000 responses to 11 cross-sectional surveys between 2017 and 2021, displacement is negatively associated with perceptions of social cohesion in aggregate. But at the individual level, those who report hosting displaced populations in their communities often have higher perceptions of social cohesion. These results are strongest among respondents who self-report hosting IDPs as opposed to refugees, but important heterogeneity across indicators, local context, and gender should guide policy meant to promote social cohesion in forced displacement.

Refugees.

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This report presents the way Gothenburg municipality and its state and non-state partners are addressing migrant integration issues and opportunities. It compiles data and qualitative evidence on how local integration efforts are designed and implemented within a multi-level governance framework.

Refugees --- Sociology --- Social Science

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How do refugee camps impact the natural environment This paper examines the case study of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, a district that hosts nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees in refugee camps. Using spatially explicit data on land-use / land cover and proximity to a camp boundary, the paper quantifies land-use changes across the district over time. To evaluate the extent to which the camps triggered additional forest loss, the analysis calculates total forest loss in the district and uses a difference-in-difference model that compares areas 0-5 kilometers from a camp boundary (treatment) to areas 10-15 kilometers away (control). The findings show that the rate of forest loss intensified near camps relative to the control area. The analysis reveals that areas experiencing camp-stimulated reductions in forest cover are also experiencing faster settlement expansion relative to the control area. Settlement expansion is largely concentrated in areas outside protected areas. This enhanced settlement expansion still occurs when pixels 0-1 kilometer from the camps are omitted, which is evidence that the results are not due to camp settlements expanding beyond the official camp borders. The results suggest that camps stimulate in-migration as Bangladeshis seek new economic opportunities and improved access to resources.

Refugees --- Rohingya (Burmese people)