In-depth: Economy — Refugees Deeply

In-depth

Economy

Exploring the economics of forced displacement.

Economy
Integration
Op-Eds

The Many Selves in Self-Reliance: Why Words and Definitions Matter

Evan Easton-Calabria Researcher at the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford

Yamini Mookherjee Research Associate at the Foundation for Rural Recovery and Development, New Delhi

The global focus on building refugees’ self-reliance often fails to understand how refugees define the concept, say researchers Evan Easton-Calabria and Yamini Mookherjee. They explain why some refugees see self-reliance as more complicated than individual and economic.over 2 years ago

Economy
Solutions
Articles
General

Kenya Tackles Abuse of Migrant Domestic Workers in the Middle East

Reports of abuse prompted Kenya to stop recruitment agencies from sending its citizens to work as domestic workers in the Middle East. Now it’s lifting the ban, and introducing new rules it says will ensure Kenyans don’t suffer at the hands of foreign employers.over 2 years ago

Economy
Education
Articles
General

Afghans Returned from Pakistan Struggle on Kabul Career Ladder

As hundreds of thousands of Afghans return from neighboring countries, young graduates face discrimination, language barriers and a dearth of connections in a country many had never been to before, Valerie Plesch reports for Al-Fanar Media.over 2 years ago

Economy
Innovation & Technology
Integration
Op-Eds

Nighttime Lights Illuminate Positive Impacts of Refugee Camps

Jennifer Alix-Garcia Professor of Applied Economics, University of Oregon

Sarah Walker Development Economist and Lecturer, University of New South Wales Business School

Anne Bartlett Associate Professor, University of New South Wales

Satellite data from Kenya’s remote northeast shows increased economic activity around Kakuma camp. New research suggests a connection between refugees and growing agricultural production.over 2 years ago

Economy
Laws & Policy
Op-Eds

Why Greece’s Latest Refugee Emergency Feels Like a Disturbing Deja Vu

Solon Ardittis Director, Eurasylum

As winter approaches, the E.U. called proper shelter and electricity for refugees in Greece an “urgent priority.” Solon Ardittis, director of Eurasylum, asks how such basics are not in place after more than two years of unprecedented resources and policy attention. over 2 years ago

Economy
Integration
Solutions
Op-Eds

How to Make Libya a Place to Live and Work for Migrants

Paul Clewett Senior Migration Analyst, Seefar

Pernille Goodall Head of Strategic Communications, Seefar

Development programming can make some cities in Libya livable for migrants again, say development experts Paul Clewett and Pernille Goodall. They also offer a noncoercive means to reducing people flows across the Mediterranean.over 2 years ago

Crises & Conflicts
Economy
Education
Articles
General
Video

The Tech Entrepreneur Turning Syrian Refugees into Virtual Teachers

Lebanese entrepreneur Aline Sara saw a gap in the market while hunting for Arabic conversation classes in the West. She connects highly skilled Syrian refugees with Arabic learners around the world, providing much-needed work for the teachers.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Solutions
Community
Op-Eds

How to Help Refugees Get Into Work Fast

Philippe Legrain Founder, OPEN

What kind of support do refugees really need to get jobs? Philippe Legrain, founder of the OPEN think-tank, outlines his new 22-country study on what works best to help refugees find employment quickly, thus bringing dividends to local economies.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Refugee Voices
Articles
General

‘Justice Will Set Us Free’: Migrants in Italy Fight Labor Exploitation

As Italy struggles to provide its migrants with the resources and support they need, refugees are increasingly vulnerable to being exploited. Now migrants are joining activist groups and using their personal experiences to help others fight for fair treatment.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Op-Eds

Our Failure of Imagination Over Refugee Livelihoods

Chrystina Russell Vice President for Global Engagement, Southern New Hampshire University

Nina Weaver Director of Refugee Education Programs, Southern New Hampshire University

The push for refugees’ self-reliance must think bigger than low-skilled labor, write Nina Weaver and Chrystina Russell from Southern New Hampshire University, which recently received $10 million to globalize the pair’s Rwandan refugee higher education pilot.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Solutions
Articles
General
Q&A

Syrian Businesses Around World Aim to get ‘Syrians to Help Syrians’

The chairman of the newly established Syrian International Business Association, Samer Chamsi-Pasha, says the Syrian diaspora needs to mobilize to help countries hosting Syrian refugees. almost 3 years ago

Crises & Conflicts
Economy
Laws & Policy
Articles
General

From the Ruins of a Palestinian Camp, a Long Road to Reconstruction

The rebuilding of Palestinian refugee camp Nahr el-Bared in Lebanon is the largest single reconstruction project ever undertaken by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. A decade on and $200 million later, only half of the residents have been able to return.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Laws & Policy
Solutions
Op-Eds

The Real Economic Cost of Accepting Refugees

Michael Clemens Economist, Center for Global Development at IZA Institute for the Study of Labor

Past waves of refugees had varied but limited effects on the jobs and income of workers in countries they moved to, finds Michael Clemens from the Center for Global Development. The impact of new arrivals in Europe will depend on governments learning the right lessons.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Laws & Policy
Op-Eds

Protecting Refugees in Nations Struggling With Poverty and Instability

Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Rich countries have a terrible record of policy intervention in the global South, exacerbating the vulnerability of the majority of the world’s refugees, says political economy professor Behzad Yaghmaian. He argues for a radical new approach to refugee protection.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Articles
General

Refugee Entrepreneurs ‘Keep Business Alive’ in Upstate New York

Many refugees resettled in New York live in the upstate city of Buffalo. As the local population declines, advocates hope refugees can reinvigorate the city’s economy. The refugee entrepreneurs of West Side Bazaar have already had some success. almost 3 years ago

Economy
Laws & Policy
Op-Eds

Russia, Xenophobia and Profiting From Migration Controls

Yan Matusevich Migration Researcher and Analyst

Behind the thicket of Russian laws that treat migrant workers as a threat to health and security lie major revenues. Migration researcher Yan Matusevich unravels the confusion to find profitable exploitation working alongside populism.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Articles
General

Michigan Offers Warm Welcome But Few Jobs to Iraqi Refugees

Michigan, with its long Arab-American history, offers refugees fleeing war in Iraq a family away from home. Yet the financial crisis made it even harder to find work there, while the arrival of secondary migrants drawn to Michigan’s sense of community strains resources. almost 3 years ago

Economy
Innovation & Technology
Integration
Articles
General

In Canada, Refugees Leapfrog Career Barriers With Help of Volunteers

Despite Canada’s recent welcome to Syrians and other refugees, many still face significant hurdles getting jobs that match their professional level. Alia Dharssi reports on the volunteers and businesses helping refugees navigate the Canadian labor market.almost 3 years ago

Economy
Op-Eds

Why We Need a Global Business Council for Refugees

Ziad Haider Senior Adviser, Center for Strategic and International Studies

The private sector should establish a Global Business Council for Refugees to better coordinate their initiatives, motivate more support and advocate for better policies for refugees, argues the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Ziad Haider in Devex. about 3 years ago

Economy
Op-Eds

We Need Universal Basic Income to End Economic Anxiety Over Refugees

Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Refugees, migrants and the struggling middle classes in Europe have all been harmed by neoliberal globalization, writes Behzad Yaghmaian. He makes the case for an alternative “solidarity-based globalism,” including universal basic income and an end to austerity.about 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Solutions
Op-Eds

Refugees Are Critical to Nation Building After Wars and Disasters

Joseph Cassidy Fellow, Wilson Center’s Global Sustainability and Resilience Program

Ella McElroy Research Intern, Wilson Center

Refugees can jump-start efforts to rebuild countries and bring long-term political and economic benefits, write the Wilson Center’s Joseph Cassidy and Ella McElroy. They outline how the international community should invest in elevating refugees’ skills.about 3 years ago

Economy
Solutions
Op-Eds

Crowdfunding a Stable Financial Future for Refugees and Hosts

John Kluge Co-Founder, The Alight Fund

Lev Plaves Senior Portfolio Manager, Middle East at Kiva.org

On World Refugee Day, the Alight Fund’s John Kluge and Lev Plaves of the microfinance NGO Kiva explain the limitations facing Syrian refugees regaining their financial footing, and the launch of World Refugee Fund, an initiative crowdfunding loans for refugees.about 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Op-Eds

History Shows Homophobic Countries Will Suffer After Gay Refugees Flee

Phillip Cornell Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center

Like the expulsion of Jews from Europe or South Asians from Africa, LGBTQ persecution in parts of Russia, Africa and Asia will harm those countries and bring economic and political gains where gay refugees settle, argues Phillip Cornell of the Atlantic Council. about 3 years ago

Economy
Laws & Policy
Op-Eds

What Pricing Tells Us About the Nature of the Smuggling Business

Tuesday Reitano Deputy Director, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

We are trying to combat an industry that we refuse to properly analyze, says transnational crime expert Tuesday Reitano. She argues that more and better data could inform policies that actually reduce smugglers’ profits.about 3 years ago

Economy
Solutions
Articles
General

Company Focus: A Package Tracking Service for Refugee Aid

As part of our series of interviews with private sector leaders engaging in work with refugees, we spoke to Joe Ruiz from UPS about the global distribution company’s efforts to help relief workers make aid deliveries more efficient.about 3 years ago

Economy
Op-Eds

Why Migration Will Not Destroy the Welfare State

Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

As part of the series ‘The Cost of Fair Refugee Policies,’ Behzad Yaghmaian argues that economists’ warnings that migration will undermine European welfare states are based on the same mistaken assumptions common to the anti-immigrant movements roiling the continent. about 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Op-Eds

The Reality Behind Uganda’s Refugee Model

David Kigozi Coordinator of the International Refugee Rights Initiative

Uganda has been hailed as a world leader in dealing with refugees. African Great Lakes expert David Kigozi argues that praise for progressive policies must be tempered with the harsher reality that many refugees actually experience in the country.about 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Articles
General

Refugees Searching for a Home Struggle With Rising Rents in U.S.

Refugees arriving in Seattle have found themselves in the middle of a regional housing crisis. A network for Congolese refugees, the top nationality for refugee resettlement in the U.S. last year, is trying to help them find shelter in the booming tech city.about 3 years ago

Economy
Articles
General

Company Focus: Opening Doors to Help Refugees Feel at Home

As part of our series of interviews with private sector leaders engaging in work with refugees, we spoke to Kellie Bentz from Airbnb about the home-sharing site’s efforts to provide temporary accommodation to refugees and relief workers. about 3 years ago

Economy
Innovation & Technology
Q&A

A Marketplace Solely for Women to Provide Space for Taboo Breakers

In the third of our interviews with Ideation Competition finalists, we spoke to architect students Maria Årthun and Nicole Lilly Gros about their design for a marketplace in Jordan’s Zataari camp that aims to break taboos and integrate women into the workforce.about 3 years ago

Economy
Innovation & Technology
Q&A

Building a Hub for Refugees to Exchange Skills and Labor

In the second of our interviews with Ideation Summit finalists, we spoke to architect and urban designer Luis Torres about his team’s design of a digital marketplace in Berlin to help refugees resume work.over 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Op-Eds

Eritreans Find Refuge in Ethiopia But No Incentive to Remain

Nassim Majidi Founder and Codirector, Samuel Hall

Georgina Sturge Senior Research Officer at the Overseas Development Institute in London

Contrary to popular notions that most Eritrean refugees are headed to Europe, many are ‘warehoused’ in Ethiopia with few options to restart their lives, say researchers from Samuel Hall and the Overseas Development Institute.over 3 years ago

Economy
Refugee Voices
Articles
General

‘I’ll Take Any Job’: Syrian Refugees Struggle to Find Work in America

Even highly skilled refugees can’t just pick up where they left off in their new countries. These are the stories of several Syrian refugees trying to forge a new career and life in the U.S.over 3 years ago

Economy
Education
Op-Eds

A 21st-Century Response to the Refugee Education Crisis

Tom Fletcher Global Strategy Director, Global Business Coalition for Education

Education is rarely prioritized in humanitarian responses to displacement and crisis. Tom Fletcher, adviser to the Global Business Coalition for Education, outlines the case for a business-led approach to close the gap.over 3 years ago

Economy
Innovation & Technology
Articles
General

Company Focus: Delivering Critical Cybersecurity for Refugees

In the third of a series of interviews with private-sector leaders who pledged to help address the refugee crisis, we speak to Erin Connor of Cisco about the multinational I.T. company’s work on the refugee crisis.over 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Articles
General

Refugee Apprentice: Germany Offers Skills Training to Newcomers

The German government hopes the influx of migrants will solve the country’s labor shortage. It has created a program to prepare refugees for the country’s apprenticeship system. But getting refugees trained and hired is proving difficult.over 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Op-Eds

Portugal’s Openness to Refugees Makes Demographic and Economic Sense

Paulo Manuel Costa Assistant Professor, Universidade Aberta in Portugal

Lúcio Sousa Assistant Professor, Universidade Aberta in Portugal

While some E.U. members have erected fences, Lisbon has made a stand for solidarity on refugees. It’s been driven by political as well as economic strategy, argue Paulo Manuel Costa and Lúcio Sousa from Portugal’s Open University.over 3 years ago

Economy
Q&A

The Misrepresentation of a Migrant Success Story

While its future is shadowed by security concerns, Nairobi’s Eastleigh powers on as one of the commercial engines of Kenya’s economy. We speak to Oxford University’s Neil Carrier about low-end globalization and the economic value of migrant hubs.over 3 years ago

Economy
Integration
Articles
General

Syrians Find Prospects Thwarted by Housing Discrimination in Italy

Discrimination against foreigners – whether economic migrants or refugees – in Italy’s rental market has been exacerbated by the economic crisis. Refugees Deeply spoke with Syrians living in Bologna who have struggled to find housing despite owning their own businesses.over 3 years ago

Economy
Articles
General

What We Can Learn From The ‘Little Mogadishu’ Migrant Hub

Eastleigh, the Somali-dominated estate in Nairobi, is testament to the benefits of migration, argues Neil Carrier of Oxford University in his new book. In this extract he goes beyond the area’s dangerous image to explain the commercial hubbub.over 3 years ago

The Many Selves in Self-Reliance: Why Words and Definitions Matter

Evan Easton-Calabria Researcher at the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford Yamini Mookherjee Research Associate at the Foundation for Rural Recovery and Development, New Delhi

Kenya Tackles Abuse of Migrant Domestic Workers in the Middle East

Afghans Returned from Pakistan Struggle on Kabul Career Ladder

Nighttime Lights Illuminate Positive Impacts of Refugee Camps

Jennifer Alix-Garcia Professor of Applied Economics, University of Oregon Sarah Walker Development Economist and Lecturer, University of New South Wales Business School Anne Bartlett Associate Professor, University of New South Wales

Why Greece’s Latest Refugee Emergency Feels Like a Disturbing Deja Vu

Solon Ardittis Director, Eurasylum

How to Make Libya a Place to Live and Work for Migrants

Paul Clewett Senior Migration Analyst, Seefar Pernille Goodall Head of Strategic Communications, Seefar

The Tech Entrepreneur Turning Syrian Refugees into Virtual Teachers

How to Help Refugees Get Into Work Fast

Philippe Legrain Founder, OPEN

‘Justice Will Set Us Free’: Migrants in Italy Fight Labor Exploitation

Our Failure of Imagination Over Refugee Livelihoods

Chrystina Russell Vice President for Global Engagement, Southern New Hampshire University Nina Weaver Director of Refugee Education Programs, Southern New Hampshire University

Syrian Businesses Around World Aim to get ‘Syrians to Help Syrians’

From the Ruins of a Palestinian Camp, a Long Road to Reconstruction

The Real Economic Cost of Accepting Refugees

Michael Clemens Economist, Center for Global Development at IZA Institute for the Study of Labor

Protecting Refugees in Nations Struggling With Poverty and Instability

﻿Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Refugee Entrepreneurs ‘Keep Business Alive’ in Upstate New York

Russia, Xenophobia and Profiting From Migration Controls

Yan Matusevich Migration Researcher and Analyst

Michigan Offers Warm Welcome But Few Jobs to Iraqi Refugees

In Canada, Refugees Leapfrog Career Barriers With Help of Volunteers

Why We Need a Global Business Council for Refugees

Ziad Haider Senior Adviser, Center for Strategic and International Studies

We Need Universal Basic Income to End Economic Anxiety Over Refugees

﻿Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Refugees Are Critical to Nation Building After Wars and Disasters

Joseph Cassidy Fellow, Wilson Center’s Global Sustainability and Resilience Program Ella McElroy Research Intern, Wilson Center

Crowdfunding a Stable Financial Future for Refugees and Hosts

John Kluge Co-Founder, The Alight Fund Lev Plaves Senior Portfolio Manager, Middle East at Kiva.org

History Shows Homophobic Countries Will Suffer After Gay Refugees Flee

Phillip Cornell Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center

What Pricing Tells Us About the Nature of the Smuggling Business

Tuesday Reitano Deputy Director, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Company Focus: A Package Tracking Service for Refugee Aid

Why Migration Will Not Destroy the Welfare State

﻿Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

The Reality Behind Uganda’s Refugee Model

David Kigozi Coordinator of the International Refugee Rights Initiative

Refugees Searching for a Home Struggle With Rising Rents in U.S.

Company Focus: Opening Doors to Help Refugees Feel at Home

A Marketplace Solely for Women to Provide Space for Taboo Breakers

Building a Hub for Refugees to Exchange Skills and Labor

Eritreans Find Refuge in Ethiopia But No Incentive to Remain

Nassim Majidi Founder and Codirector, Samuel Hall Georgina Sturge Senior Research Officer at the Overseas Development Institute in London

‘I’ll Take Any Job’: Syrian Refugees Struggle to Find Work in America

A 21st-Century Response to the Refugee Education Crisis

Tom Fletcher Global Strategy Director, Global Business Coalition for Education

Company Focus: Delivering Critical Cybersecurity for Refugees

Refugee Apprentice: Germany Offers Skills Training to Newcomers

Portugal’s Openness to Refugees Makes Demographic and Economic Sense

Paulo Manuel Costa Assistant Professor, Universidade Aberta in Portugal Lúcio Sousa Assistant Professor, Universidade Aberta in Portugal

The Misrepresentation of a Migrant Success Story

Syrians Find Prospects Thwarted by Housing Discrimination in Italy

What We Can Learn From The ‘Little Mogadishu’ Migrant Hub

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Evan Easton-Calabria Researcher at the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford

Yamini Mookherjee Research Associate at the Foundation for Rural Recovery and Development, New Delhi

Jennifer Alix-Garcia Professor of Applied Economics, University of Oregon

Sarah Walker Development Economist and Lecturer, University of New South Wales Business School

Anne Bartlett Associate Professor, University of New South Wales

Paul Clewett Senior Migration Analyst, Seefar

Pernille Goodall Head of Strategic Communications, Seefar

Chrystina Russell Vice President for Global Engagement, Southern New Hampshire University

Nina Weaver Director of Refugee Education Programs, Southern New Hampshire University

Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Joseph Cassidy Fellow, Wilson Center’s Global Sustainability and Resilience Program

Ella McElroy Research Intern, Wilson Center

John Kluge Co-Founder, The Alight Fund

Lev Plaves Senior Portfolio Manager, Middle East at Kiva.org

Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Nassim Majidi Founder and Codirector, Samuel Hall

Georgina Sturge Senior Research Officer at the Overseas Development Institute in London

Paulo Manuel Costa Assistant Professor, Universidade Aberta in Portugal

Lúcio Sousa Assistant Professor, Universidade Aberta in Portugal