Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP15652
Authors: Xavier Devictor; Quytoan Do; Andrei A. Levchenko
Abstract: This paper analyzes the spatial distribution of refugees over 1987-2017 and establishes several stylized facts about refugees today compared with past decades. Refugees still predominantly reside in developing countries neighboring their country of origin. However, compared to past decades, refugees today (i) travel longer distances, (ii) are less likely to seek protection in a neighboring country, (iii) are less geographically concentrated, and (iv) are more likely to reside in a high-income OECD country. The findings bring new evidence to the debate on refugee responsibility-sharing.
Keywords: refugees; forced displacement; responsibility-sharing; UNHCR
JEL Codes: J15; F22; F55
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| refugees seeking protection in neighboring countries (F35) | share of refugees residing in contiguous countries (F35) |
| average distance traveled by refugees (F22) | distance traveled by refugees (F22) |
| geographic concentration of refugees (F22) | geographic dispersion of refugees (F22) |
| increasing share of refugees hosted in high-income OECD countries (F22) | share of refugees in high-income OECD countries (F22) |