Working Paper: NBER ID: w28332
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; Globalization; Responsibility-sharing; Spatial distribution
JEL Codes: F22; F55; J15
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| increased average distance traveled by refugees (F22) | more globalized refugee network (F60) |
| decrease in the probability of refugees seeking protection in neighboring countries (F55) | more globalized refugee network (F60) |
| decline in the herfindahl index of refugee shares (J11) | more globalized refugee network (F60) |
| increase in average distance traveled by refugees (F22) | decline in geographic concentration of refugees (F22) |
| decrease in the share of refugees seeking protection in contiguous countries (F22) | decline in geographic concentration of refugees (F22) |
| decline in the herfindahl index of refugee shares (J11) | decline in geographic concentration of refugees (F22) |
| changes in refugee behavior over time (F22) | causal relationship driven by geopolitical factors and international policies (F50) |