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The world has 23 million refugees, most of whom are living in urban areas.
We explore and document the experiences of people displaced by armed conflict, persecution, and environmental change. We examine the national and international humanitarian and political systems’ responses to migration flows.
The scope of this work is worldwide.
Against the Norm: Religion, Witchcraft, and the Re-Integration of Elderly and “Socially Dissident” Returnees

This report explores lived reintegration experiences of Malawian returnees from Johannesburg, living in Mzuzu, Malawi. In this study, Mwaona Nyirongo explores the challenges and opportunities that the returnees face reintegrating…
Read More“Education is a protection”: Refugee Parents’ Involvement in their Children’s Schools

In this case report, Abdullah Alsmaeel writes about the difficulties refugee parents face in being involved in their children’s education, from interacting with teachers to openly hostile Danish policies towards…
Read MoreIntegration Concerns of Parents about Syrian Children

In this case report, Zahed Mukayed, a Syrian refugee living in Istanbul, and Ezgi Irgil, a Turkish PhD student living in Sweden, discuss their research with Syrian refugees in Ezgi’s…
Read MoreCoping with Microaggressions: Migrant Servers in Upscale Restaurants

Barnabas Ticha Muvhuti discusses the microaggressions that foreign restaurant servers face in their workplaces in South Africa and how they learn to cope with them. Most African migrants living in…
Read MoreA Picture of Central American Mobilities

In this case report, Victoria Ríos Infante and Cordelia Rizzo, who grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, explore how their neighborhoods have been transformed as a home to migrants from across Central America.
Read MorePrecarity and the Sustainability of Livelihoods

In this case report, Ankara resident Allan Cooper Dell explores the neighborhoods of Turkey’s capital city being transformed by Syrian refugees. He notes “It seems that the lives of the…
Read MoreThe Cowardly Man Raises his Children: Refugee Gang Violence and Masculine Norms in Cairo

This report analyzes gang violence affecting African refugee communities in Cairo, Egypt to promote understanding of why violence occurs and local grassroots efforts to prevent violence. It makes recommendations for how humanitarian organizations can support community efforts.
Read MoreSan Jose, Costa Rica: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

This case report looks at migration to Costa Rica and explores the main opportunities for and obstacles to integration in terms of migratory status, access to public health, jobs, education, and recreation.
Read MoreHarare, Zimbabwe: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

This case report explores the voluntary return to Zimbabwe, the impact the returnees’ have on the city of Harare, and their experiences of reintegration.
Read MoreMombasa, Kenya: A Case Report in Refugees in Towns

This report examines experiences of somalis in Mombasa, Kenya. The case study also examines how Somali-Kenyans navigate their identities and access opportunities.
Read MoreThessaloniki, Greece: A Case Report in Refugees in Towns

This report attempts to shed light on the integration process for the most recent wave of refugees in Thessaloniki.
Read MoreNew Britain, Connecticut: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

New Britain, Connecticut has a long history of immigration. This report focuses on the experiences of newly arrived Arabic-speaking immigrants and refugees from Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, and Morocco. The…
Read MoreIslamabad, Pakistan: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

Pakistan has experienced several waves of refugees due to recurring conflict in neighboring Afghanistan, as well as repeated internal displacement caused by complex emergencies within the country. This case report…
Read MoreTel Aviv, Israel: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

Fleeing persecution, discrimination, and lack of economic opportunities, thousands of Eritrean, Sudanese, and other sub-Saharan African asylum seekers arrived in Israel’s cities after making a dangerous crossing through Egypt’s Sinai…
Read MoreAthens, Greece: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

Amidst an economic crisis, Greece’s cities found themselves host to thousands of refugees stuck in transit along the Balkans Route on their way to Northern Europe. This case study attempts…
Read MoreSynthesis Report: An Analysis of Four Case Studies of Youth Migration

This paper synthesizes findings from four studies on youth migration and resilience in different urban contexts. This work emerges from a collaboration between Save the Children US (Save US) and…
Read More“Don’t forget, you’re the responsible person.” Opportunities, Obligations,and Challenges Experienced by Young Adult Eritrean Migrants in Kampala

This study explores how Eritrean migrants’ different journeys influence their resilience capabilities and overall well-being in Kampala.
Read More“If you work hard, you will move ahead.” Migrants in the Platform Economy: Experience of Migrant Youth in Bengaluru, India

This study focuses on the financial and social impact of rural-urban migration on young men engaged in the platform economy in Bengaluru, India.
Read More“I haven’t changed like I wanted to. Until then, I will stay here.” Enabling Successful Migration for Young Rural-Urban Migrants in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

This case study describes the experiences, livelihoods, and aspirations of Ethiopian youth who have migrated to Addis Ababa from rural areas.
Read More“If my mom were here:” Short-Term Success and Long-Term Resiliencies Among Unaccompanied and Accompanied Minors in Vienna, Austria

This study examined the integration experiences of protected persons in Vienna, Austria who arrived as unaccompanied and accompanied asylum-seeking older minors.
Read MoreJohannesburg, South Africa: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Johannesburg case report looks at Malawian migrants in one of South Africa’s largest cities. It explores the ways value transfer and financial obligations back home both obstruct integration into new neighborhoods and maintain integration with old villages.
Read MoreAmman, Jordan: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

This case report focuses on Amman, Jordan, which has for years been at the center of prolonged refugee experiences.
Read MoreKyiv, Ukraine: A Case Report for Refugees in Towns

This case report reviews the ways internally displaced persons (IDPs) from eastern Ukraine both struggle with integration to the capital, but also become agents of change to transfer the culture and economy of the city.
Read MoreIrbid, Jordan: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

Irbid, Jordan is now inhabited by more Syrian refugees than Jordanian hosts. Yet the most profound changes in the city—affecting and being affected by refugees’ integration—are megatrends affecting cities the world over
Read MoreIzmir, Turkey: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

This case report explores what happened to a coastal Mediterranean city in Turkey that was transformed from a smuggling transit hub to Greece and the EU into a home for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees after the closing the Balkans Route in 2015.
Read More‘She told me that life here is so easy’: Urban migration of Acholi youth, Uganda

This working paper presents findings on the migration of youth from Acholi, Uganda to the urban areas of Gulu and Pabbo in northern Uganda, and to the Acholi Quarter neighborhood in Kampala.
Read MoreBeirut, Lebanon: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns No Rainbow, No integration: LGBTQI+ Refugees in Hiding

This case report explores the ways members of the LGBTQI+ Syrian refugee community survive in Beirut, Lebanon amidst extreme prejudice from much of the Lebanese population, the Lebanese government, and other Syrians.
Read MoreBloemfontein, South Africa: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns Finding a new life in the City of Roses

The Bloemfontein case report explores the way migrants from across Africa have succeeded and struggled with integration to a major urban center in South Africa.
Read MoreMakhanda, South Africa: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Makhanda case report compares the experiences of migrants integrating to a small African town named Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) to the experiences of those living in South Africa’s major urban centers like Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
Read MorePokrovsk, Ukraine: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

This case report examines the impact of internally displaced persons (IDPs) on the social life and culture of an eastern Ukrainian town: Pokrovsk. It explores the impact on this town…
Read MoreAarhus, Denmark: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

Aarhus is Denmark’s second largest city with a population of 336,411. The Refugees in Towns Aarhus case report looks at the integration experience of refugees within a Nordic welfare state….
Read MoreJalalabad, Afghanistan: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

This case report explores the challenges faced by Afghan refugees who had been living in Pakistan and returned to Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. It explores the returnees’ experience of reintegration…
Read MoreCairo, Egypt: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Cairo report shares the experiences of Egypt’s largely overlooked Sudanese, Ethiopian, Eritrean, South Sudanese, and Somali refugees, as well as their impact on the several neighborhoods in the city.
Read MoreAustin, Texas, USA: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Austin case report looks at Syrian refugees living in the deep American southwest, and how their wellbeing impacts their experiences with integration.
Read MoreAugusta, Maine, USA: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Augusta report explores primarily Middle Eastern refugees who arrived as “secondary” migrants to a small town in Maine.
Read MoreEast Boston, Massachusetts, USA: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The East Boston report explores a rapidly changing neighborhood that is being transformed both by immigration (largely from Hispanic populations), and by gentrification including the skyrocketing cost of rent, particularly along certain streets.
Read MoreConcord, New Hampshire, USA: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Concord report looks from the eyes of a lifelong resident on a city that has worked to make itself a local bastion of inclusiveness against anti-immigrant rhetoric at the national level.
Read MoreSultanbeyli, Istanbul: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Sultanbeyli, Istanbul case report focuses on social capital as a resource for integration of Syrian refugees.
Read MoreHamburg, Germany: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Hamburg case report focuses on the domain of housing in integration.
Read MoreDelhi, India: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Delhi case report considers food as an element of social and economic integration.
Read MoreDar Es Salaam, Tanzania: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

This report examines the vulnerabilities of urban refugees, and the difficulties they encounter in accessing basic services in Dar Es Salaam.
Read MoreBelgrade, Serbia: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Belgrade case report explores the relationship between the European migrant crisis and political movements in Serbia.
Read MoreCape Town, South Africa: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

The Cape Town report focuses on the educational integration of 15-20-year-old first-generation immigrant pupils in four different schools of Cape Town, and their difficulties with permits, language and cultural barriers, and views of prejudice toward them.
Read MoreFlights Above the Fray: The experiences and uncertain future of UNHCR’s family visit program for Sahrawi refugees

Between 2004 and 2014, UNHCR’s Confidence Building Measures (CBM) program helped more than 20,000 refugees in the Tindouf desert camps of Algeria to visit their families. This report gives a human perspective of the experiences of Sahrawi refugees and their families.
Read MoreA frozen conflict and a humanitarian program that works: UNHCR’s confidence building measures in Western Sahara

This report describes a relatively unknown humanitarian program that has addressed one of the saddest aspects of displacement – the separation of families. Between 2004 and 2014, UNHCR’s Confidence Building…
Read MoreThe Financial Journey of Refugees

This report investigates what money and financial transactions can reveal about the journeys and experiences of forced migration.
Read MoreCities of Refuge

This policy note focuses on urban forced displacement from the perspective of receiving towns and cities.
Read MoreTripoli, Lebanon: A Case Report of Refugees in Towns

This case study explores how the Syrian influx has affected Tripoli, including how relationships between Lebanese and Syrians have deteriorated as competition over jobs intensifies, security concerns increase, and decrepit public infrastructure has been further strained.
Read MoreEvidence Brief: The Impact of Protection Interventions on Unaccompanied and Separated Children in Humanitarian Crises

This is an evidence brief, accompanying the full systematic review on the impact of protection interventions on unaccompanied and separated children in humanitarian settings.
Read MoreThe Impact of Protection Interventions on Unaccompanied and Separated Children in Humanitarian Crises

Programming for unaccompanied and separated children cases is often prioritized in the context of humanitarian interventions. But what is the impact of protection interventions on UASC in humanitarian crises in low and middle income countries?
Read MoreBuilding Livelihood Opportunities for Refugee Populations: Lessons from Past Practice

This report outlines the types of livelihood efforts that aid agencies have undertaken in countries of first asylum and explores the challenges they face in realizing the full promise of these approaches. The authors offer recommendations to improve effectiveness.
Read MoreForced Displacement, Go Figure! Shaking the Box of Profiling IDP Situations

This publication is a joint effort from JIPS and the Feinstein International Center that calls for an update to the existing international guidance for profiling.
Read MoreWhat are the practices to identify and prioritize vulnerable populations affected by urban humanitarian emergencies? A systematic review protocol

This protocol details the methodology for an evidence synthesis on urban humanitarian action. The evidence synthesis asks, “What are the practices to identify and prioritize populations affected by urban humanitarian…
Read MoreThe impact of protection interventions on unaccompanied and separated children in humanitarian crises: An evidence synthesis protocol

This protocol details the methodology for an evidence synthesis on child protection in humanitarian crises. The evidence synthesis asks: “What is the impact of protection interventions on unaccompanied and separated…
Read MoreThe effectiveness and efficiency of interventions supporting shelter self-recovery following humanitarian crises: An evidence synthesis protocol

This protocol details the methodology for an evidence synthesis on shelter in humanitarian crises. The evidence synthesis asks: “What is the evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of interventions that…
Read MoreCash Transfer Programming for Syrian Refugees Lessons Learned on Vulnerability, Targeting, and Protection from the Danish Refugee Council's E-Voucher Intervention in Southern Turkey

This report provides lessons for the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), other humanitarian organizations, and funders striving to optimize cash transfer programs (CTP) in humanitarian contexts. Through an examination of the…
Read More“It’s Better to Sweat than to Die:” Rural-to-Urban Migration, Northern Karamoja, Uganda

Much of the literature on urbanization focuses on migration to large cities. In contrast, this report traces the process, challenges, and opportunities of rural-urban migration to towns and small cities…
Read MoreGuidance For Profiling Urban Displacement Situations: Challenges And Solutions

Over the past two years, the Feinstein International Center has supported the Joint IDP Profiling Service (JIPS) to develop a Guidance for Profiling Urban Displacement Situations. The Guidance highlights the…
Read MoreStructural Violence and Social Suffering among Marginal Nepali Migrants

Over the past decade, Nepal has witnessed a rapid process of social transformation which has accelerated after the end of the “people’s war”. In this report, the third in our…
Read MoreUrban Profiling of Refugee Situations in Delhi Refugees from Myanmar, Afghanistan and Somalia and their Indian Neighbours: A Comparative Study

India is host to refugees from all its neighboring countries, and in addition, in New Delhi, UNHCR assists over 24,000 urban refugees and asylum-seekers originating from Myanmar and non-neighboring countries…
Read MoreRansom, Collaborators, Corruption Sinai Trafficking and Transnational Networks

Each month thousands of men, women, and children flee Eritrea as a result of grave violations of human rights committed by the Eritrean government. Traveling via Sudan and Egypt, 36,000…
Read MoreRefugee Livelihoods in Urban Areas: Case Study Israel

Refugees in urban areas face a specific set of livelihoods problems, and in recent years many aid agencies have begun to try to address these problems by supporting refugees through…
Read MoreRefugee Livelihoods in Urban Areas: Case Study Ecuador

Refugees in urban areas face a specific set of livelihoods problems, and in recent years many aid agencies have begun to try to address these problems by supporting refugees through…
Read MoreRefugee Livelihoods in Urban Areas: Case Study Egypt

Refugees in urban areas face a specific set of livelihoods problems, and in recent years many aid agencies have begun to try to address these problems by supporting refugees through…
Read MoreRefugee Livelihoods in Urban Areas: Identifying Program Opportunities Recommendations for programming and advocacy

Refugees in urban areas face a specific set of livelihoods problems, and in recent years many aid agencies have begun to try to address these problems by supporting refugees through…
Read MoreDeveloping a Profiling Methodology for Displaced People in Urban Areas: South Africa Case Study

This is one of three case studies that were conducted to test the methodology for profiling displaced persons in urban areas. The full report on the methodology is available here….
Read MoreDeveloping a Profiling Methodology for Displaced People in Urban Areas: Yemen Case Study

This is one of three case studies that were conducted to test the methodology for profiling displaced persons in urban areas. The full report on the methodology is available here….
Read MoreDeveloping a Profiling Methodology for Displaced People in Urban Areas: Thailand Case Study

This is one of three case studies that were conducted to test the methodology for profiling displaced persons in urban areas. The full report on the methodology is available here….
Read MoreDeveloping a Profiling Methodology for Displaced People in Urban Areas

In 2010-11 we partnered with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration to develop a profiling methodology for urban migrants and refugees. The purpose of the methodology…
Read MoreExamining Linkages between Disaster Risk Reduction and Livelihoods Literature Review

In the disaster context emphasis has been generally placed on the initial humanitarian and emergency response. However, recently there has been an increasing recognition of the importance and value of…
Read MoreAfrican Migration to Israel Debt, Employment and Remittances

This report details the migration experience and livelihood choices of Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers and migrants in Tel Aviv. The research is based on a scoping study conducted by…
Read MoreAid and Violence Development Policies and Conflict in Nepal

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) launched its “People’s War” in 1996. The Maoists’ rise to power was impressive by any standard. After a successful showing at the polls for…
Read MoreLivelihoods, Migration and Conflict Discussion of Findings from Two Studies in West and North Darfur, 2006 - 2007

This briefing paper discusses findings from a study conducted in Darfur from 2006-8 that explored the changing role of migration and remittances in the livelihoods of conflict-affected people. We conducted…
Read MoreInternal Displacement to Urban Areas: Colombia Case Case 3: Santa Marta, Colombia

For more than 40 years, Colombians have been subject to chronic violence perpetrated by left-wing guerillas, paramilitaries, government forces, and drug cartels. In the past 20 years, an estimated four…
Read MoreInternal Displacement to Urban Areas: Côte d’Ivoire Case Case 2: Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire

After a series of political crises, Côte d’Ivoire’s armed conflict erupted in 2002, leading to the division of the country into government and rebel-controlled areas. Both sides committed grave human…
Read MoreInternal Displacement to Urban Areas: Sudan Case Case 1: Khartoum, Sudan

Sudan’s North-South civil war and the conflict in Darfur generated one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world. A large proportion of these IDPs is found in and…
Read MoreOut-migration, Return, and Resettlement in Karamoja, Uganda The case of Kobulin, Bokora County

As part of a larger project entitled “Livelihoods and Human Security in Karamoja,” this briefing paper presents findings on causal factors and broad patterns in out-migration among the Bokora population….
Read MoreDarfur: Livelihoods Under Siege

It is almost two years since the beginning of the rebel insurgency in Darfur, but the conflict continues, the ceasefire has been frequently violated, and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis…
Read MoreThe Alchemy Project: Final Report, 2001-2004

The Alchemy Project began in 2001 as a pilot program to explore whether income generating interventions do support the livelihoods of forcibly displaced people. Our long-term goals were to work…
Read MoreRefugees in Towns
This project collects and commissions case studies of urban settings (towns, cities or sub-areas of cities) in which refugees or internally displaced people have been living for more than two years.
Read MoreKaramoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU 1 & 2)
KRSU is a four-year project of USAID/Uganda aimed at increasing resilience and economic development in the Karamoja Region of northeast Uganda.
Read MorePartnership on Youth, Migration, and Resilience
This partnership between Save the Children US and Feinstein aims to improve the evidence base on migration of young people to urban areas.
Read MoreUNHCR’s Confidence Building Measures for Sahrawi Refugees
The project has three components, each designed to give a different perspective on Sahrawi refugees.
Read MoreThe Financial Journey of Refugees
The Financial Journeys of Refugees is a study that investigates what money and financial transactions can reveal about the journeys and experiences of forced migration.
Read MoreThe Humanitarian Evidence Program
The Humanitarian Evidence Program produces a series of evidence syntheses to distill humanitarian evidence and communicate it to key stakeholders in order to enable better decision-making and improve humanitarian policy and practice.
Read MoreThe Agriculture Knowledge, Learning, Documentation and Policy Project (AKLDP)
The AKLDP is a five-year project of USAID Ethiopia which provides collaborative learning and coordination support across the Feed the Future portfolio, leading to improved agriculture, livestock and pastoral policy and programming.
Read MoreProfiling for Displacement Situations
Our research on and methodology for profiling will help aid agencies better understand the livelihood issues confronting displaced people and non-displaced locals in urban settings.
Read MoreRefugee Livelihoods in Urban Areas: Identifying Program Opportunities
For refugees in urban areas, there is little evidence about which humanitarian programs work, what livelihoods initiatives refugees undertake themselves, and where opportunities for programming interventions lie. Our research seeks to address this knowledge gap.
Read MoreOur academic courses at Tufts and other institutions are a key part of our research and our mission. Our faculty teach the following courses at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy:
- Current Issues in Global Immigration Policy (DHP 238), Fall Term, taught by Karen Jacobsen
- Forced Migration (DHP D239), Spring Term, taught by Karen Jacobsen
Go to Humanitarian Education Courses at Tufts on our Education page for more related courses.
African University Partnerships
We partner with forced migration programs at two African universities:
These partnerships include joint research programs, and provide exchanges of faculty, students and interns, as well as materials and other teaching support.