Drawing on our case study of Addis Ababa, where refugee-run businesses are tightly integrated into the city’s wider economy, we explore the obstacles that can limit refugees’ economic contribution and recommend policies to overcome them. As a first step, humanitarian agencies should encourage host governments to grant urban refugees the right to work so host cities can share the benefits of their innovation, creativity and international links.
Recent Resources
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Programming, Publication Year: 2025, Country: United States, Tags: Education, Organizations: Prevention Science
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Programming, Publication Year: 2025, Country: United States, Tags: Education, Organizations: Prevention Science
Publishing Organizations: Prevention Science
Authors: Elly Miles; Erin Doyle; Soumita Bose; Hamutal Bernstein
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Policy, Theme: Impact, Population: Refugees, Publication Year: 2021, Tags: Education
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Policy, Theme: Impact, Population: Refugees, Publication Year: 2021, Tags: Education
Publishing Organizations: International Review of Education
Authors: Linda Morrice
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Impact, Population: Refugees, Publication Year: 2020, Country: Uganda, Tags: Education, Organization: American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Impact, Population: Refugees, Publication Year: 2020, Country: Uganda, Tags: Education, Organization: American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
Publishing Organizations: American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
Authors: Salome Joy Awidi and Kofi Quan-Baffour
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Programming, Population: Refugees, Population: Children & Youth, Publication Year: 2024, Country: Kenya, Tags: Education
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Programming, Population: Refugees, Population: Children & Youth, Publication Year: 2024, Country: Kenya, Tags: Education
Publishing Organizations: EdinBurg Peer Reviewed Journals and Books Publishers | Journal of Public Policy & Governance
Authors: Wambugu Iddah Wangui; Dr. Heather Eddah Kipchumba
Theme: Programming, Population: Refugees, Publication Year: 2025, Country: Thailand, Country: Myanmar, Tags: Education, Organizations: International Journal of Educational Development
Theme: Programming, Population: Refugees, Publication Year: 2025, Country: Thailand, Country: Myanmar, Tags: Education, Organizations: International Journal of Educational Development
Publishing Organizations: International Journal of Educational Development
Authors: Subin Sarah Yeo
Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, RSRI Publications, Organizations: Asociación Salto Ángel, Organizations: Fundación Mahuampi Venezuela, Organizations: Fundatransvida, Organizations: Refugiados Unidos, Organizations: Somos Tricolor - FUNDIMUSICOL, Organizations: Veneactiva Colombia, Country: Colombia, Publication Year: 2026, Population: Refugees, Population: Migrants, Resource Type: Programmatic, Theme: Social Inclusion, Theme: Policy, Theme: Programming
Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, RSRI Publications, Organizations: Asociación Salto Ángel, Organizations: Fundación Mahuampi Venezuela, Organizations: Fundatransvida, Organizations: Refugiados Unidos, Organizations: Somos Tricolor - FUNDIMUSICOL, Organizations: Veneactiva Colombia, Country: Colombia, Publication Year: 2026, Population: Refugees, Population: Migrants, Resource Type: Programmatic, Theme: Social Inclusion, Theme: Policy, Theme: Programming
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative; Asociación Salto Ángel; Fundación Mahuampi Venezuela; Fundatransvida; Refugiados Unidos; Somos Tricolor - FUNDIMUSICOL; Veneactiva Colombia
Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, RSRI Publications, Organizations: Asociación Salto Ángel, Organizations: Fundación Mahuampi Venezuela, Organizations: Fundatransvida, Organizations: Refugiados Unidos, Organizations: Somos Tricolor - FUNDIMUSICOL, Organizations: Veneactiva Colombia, Country: Colombia, Publication Year: 2026, Population: Refugees, Population: Migrants, Resource Type: Programmatic, Theme: Social Inclusion, Theme: Policy, Theme: Programming
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Measurement, Theme: Programming, Theme: Impact, Population: Refugees, Population: IDPs, Population: Host Communities, Publication Year: 2025, RSRI Publications, Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Measurement, Theme: Programming, Theme: Impact, Population: Refugees, Population: IDPs, Population: Host Communities, Publication Year: 2025, RSRI Publications, Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative; BMJ Global Health
Authors: Lindsay Stark, Kari Jorgenson Diener, Kellie Leeson, Simar Singh, Ned Meerdink, & Ilana Seff
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Evaluation, Theme: Programming, Population: Women & Girls, Publication Year: 2026, Organizations: HIAS, Country: Colombia, Tags: Gender, Tags: Livelihoods, Tags: Protection, RSRI Publications, Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
Resource Type: Academic, Theme: Evaluation, Theme: Programming, Population: Women & Girls, Publication Year: 2026, Organizations: HIAS, Country: Colombia, Tags: Gender, Tags: Livelihoods, Tags: Protection, RSRI Publications, Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative; HIAS; BMC Conflict & Health
Authors: Lindsay Stark, Arturo Harker Roa, Diany Castellar, Adriana Monar, Marcela Venegas, Kellie Leeson, Feven Gebrekidan, Ned Meerdink, & Ilana Seff
Publication Year: 2025, Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, Organizations: Blumont, Organizations: Washington University in St. Louis, Organizations: Universidad de los Andes, Organizations: Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, Organizations: Ludwig Maximilian University, Resource Type: Programmatic, Country: Colombia, Theme: Programming, Population: Forcibly Displaced, RSRI Publications, Theme: Impact, Theme: Evaluation, Resource Type: Academic, Population: Women & Girls, Tags: Urban, Tags: Gender
Publication Year: 2025, Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, Organizations: Blumont, Organizations: Washington University in St. Louis, Organizations: Universidad de los Andes, Organizations: Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, Organizations: Ludwig Maximilian University, Resource Type: Programmatic, Country: Colombia, Theme: Programming, Population: Forcibly Displaced, RSRI Publications, Theme: Impact, Theme: Evaluation, Resource Type: Academic, Population: Women & Girls, Tags: Urban, Tags: Gender
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, Washington University in St. Louis, Blumont, Universidad de los Andes, Ludwig Maximilian University, Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit
Author(s): Lindsay Stark, Juan Pablo Franco, Arturo Harker Roa, Neema Mosha, Deanna Barch, Ned Meerdink, Ilana Seff
Publication Year: 2025, Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, Organizations: Blumont, Organizations: Washington University in St. Louis, Organizations: Universidad de los Andes, Organizations: Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, Organizations: Ludwig Maximilian University, Resource Type: Programmatic, Country: Colombia, Theme: Programming, Population: Forcibly Displaced, RSRI Publications, Theme: Impact, Theme: Evaluation, Resource Type: Academic, Population: Women & Girls, Tags: Urban, Tags: Gender
Publication Year: 2022, Resource Type: Academic, Country: United Kingdom, Theme: Policy, Population: Refugees, Organizations: University of Huddersfield, Tags: Durable Solutions
Publication Year: 2022, Resource Type: Academic, Country: United Kingdom, Theme: Policy, Population: Refugees, Organizations: University of Huddersfield, Tags: Durable Solutions
Publishing Organizations: University of Huddersfield
Author(s): Philip Brown, Santokh Gill, Jamie P. Halsall
