This paper analyses how proximity to refugees affects the welfare and economic activity of host communities in Uganda. Uganda hosts more than 1.4 million refugees, living across 31 settlements in 13 districts. Despite their freedom of movement, most refugees remain in official settlements to access assistance from national and international agencies.
JDC Literature Review
Child poverty among refugees
This article estimates the intra-household allocation of consumption in refugee settlements and surrounding communities in Kenya and Uganda, and examines the implications for child poverty. Uganda is the largest refugee hosting country in Africa, with more than 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers as of June 2022. Kenya is the third-largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, after Uganda and Ethiopia, with over 555,000 refugees and asylum seekers as of June 2022.
Refugee mobilities in East Africa: understanding secondary movements
This article examines the mobility aspirations of refugees in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia, and includes an in-depth analysis of the mobility patterns of refugees in Kenya. The research challenges common assumptions about refugee mobility, that: (1) most refugee secondary movements (the movement of refugees from the first country in which they arrive) are South-North; (2) refugee movements are predominantly irregular; (3) aspirations to move translate into actual movements; and (4) refugees who remain in regions of origin are largely immobile.
The effectiveness of therapeutic interventions on psychological distress in refugee children: A systematic review
This paper systematically reviews existing research on the effectiveness of psychological interventions in reducing symptoms of distress amongst refugee and asylum-seeker children.
How to cope with a refugee population? Evidence from Uganda
This paper estimates the causal effect of a refugee presence in Uganda on the material welfare of the host population between 2009 and 2012. Uganda’s refugee policies are among the most progressive in the world; refugees are accommodated in settlements, given plots of land and seeds to engage in farming, can access health and education, and have the right to work and move freely. Uganda’s approach has also involved providing support to refugee-hosting communities.
A post-traumatic stress disorder among internally displaced people in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
This article reviews the evidence on the prevalence and determinants of post-traumatic stress disorders among internally displaced people in sub-Saharan Africa. The review covers studies in English published up to June 2023 that estimate the prevalence of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors identified 11 studies that meet the inclusion criteria. The studies covered over 11,000 participants from 14 sub-Saharan African countries including Nigeria (4 studies), Ethiopia (3 studies), Sudan (3 studies), Somalia, the Central African Republic, Uganda, and Kenya.
Do legal restrictions affect refugees’ labor market and education outcomes? Evidence from harmonized data
This paper estimates the impact of refugee policies on labor and education outcomes in developing countries that host refugees.
Refugees welcome? Inter-group interaction and host community attitude formation
This paper investigates the role of refugee-host interaction in influencing host community attitudes towards refugees in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. The authors also explore the factors, other than contact, that shape attitudes of host communities towards refugees,...
Effects of including refugees in local government schools on pupils’ learning achievement: Evidence from West Nile, Uganda
This article examines the impact of including refugee children in government schools on learning achievement of both refugee and native pupils in the West Nile region of Uganda. Between June 2016 and December 2017, the refugee population in Uganda increased from 0.2...
Inclusive Refugee-Hosting in Uganda Improves Local Development and Prevents Public Backlash
This paper examines whether the presence of large numbers of refugees in Uganda affects the provision of public services in nearby host communities, and whether improvements in public services in turn shapes attitudes toward migrants and migration policies. Uganda...