VoxDev Development Economics S7 Ep8: Integrating refugees: What policies work best?
Feb 12, 2026
Giovanni Peri, UC Davis economist on migration and labour markets, and Dany Bahar, Brown economist on migration and development, discuss rising refugee flows and why they are becoming structural. They cover myths about where refugees go, harms of work bans, the payoff from better employer matching, cost-effective language training, placement and mobility constraints, who should deliver services, and key evidence gaps.
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Refugee Numbers Are Rising Rapidly
- International refugee numbers have roughly quadrupled since the early 2000s, driven by more frequent and longer conflicts.
- Climate and environmental shocks may make these displacement trends more persistent in future decades.
Most Refugees Stay Close To Home
- About 80% of international refugees are hosted in low- and middle-income countries, not rich ones.
- Most refugees move to neighboring countries, so the global picture differs from popular media narratives.
Host Context Shapes Integration Paths
- Refugee experiences differ drastically by host-country wealth and institutions, affecting camp use, resettlement, and available services.
- Those who reach rich countries are often positively selected (education, networks), changing integration outcomes.