Refugee return and social cohesion. (15th September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruiz, Isabel; Vargas-Silva, Carlos
• Is Part Of: Oxford review of economic policy. Volume 38:Number 3(2022)
• Page Start: 678
• Page End: 698
• Publication Date: 2022-09-15
• Subjects: forced migration -- repatriation -- social cohesion -- Burundi; Economic policy -- Periodicals; 338.9005
• DOI: 10.1093/oxrep/grac016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-903X

Abstract

Abstract: Refugee return often involves the re-encounter of individuals who were separated for years, but we know little about its impact on social cohesion. We explore this impact using data from a nationwide survey that we conducted in Burundi, a country that experienced high levels of repatriation during the 2000s. We find that refugee return has a negative impact on the feeling that community members help each other, could borrow money for emergencies from non-household members, and the feeling that the community is peaceful. The impacts on measures of reconciliation, post-conflict justice, trust, and participation in community groups are mostly statistically insignificant. We also explore how these effects differ across different sub-samples based on ethnic composition, pre-war land scarcity, and attitudes towards return. The results highlight the possible role of new migration-related societal divisions in affecting post-return social cohesion.