Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Yesterday in The Washington Post, Alexander Betts (Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs, RSC) and Paul Collier (Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government) wrote an op-ed arguing in favour of ‘A self-reliance model for refugees’, citing research undertaken by the RSC’s Refugee Economies Programme. This research compares outcomes for refugees in Kenya in two different models of settlement: a ‘self-reliance model’ in Kalobeyei camp and a more traditional aid model in Kakuma camp.

Betts and Collier write: “Help is about bringing development, not just in the form of humanitarian relief. By focusing on jobs and education, refugees can restore autonomy and dignity while in exile. Once local host communities can share in the benefits of development assistance — through employment and services, for example — the provision of a safe haven for refugees can be recast as an opportunity rather than a burden.”

Read the article here >>

Related content

Alexander Betts People

Paul Collier External

Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System Publications

Refugee Economies Research