Reframing displacement crises as development opportunities

The displacement of refugees and IDPs is pre-eminently a humanitarian and a human rights challenge. But large-scale displacement crises also present significant development opportunities and challenges, in addition to the humanitarian needs and the ‘humanitarian imperative’. Using a political economy analysis the policy note demonstrates the developmental impacts of displacement, highlights evidence-based arguments in favour of developmental approaches to assisting displaced populations and their hosts, and indicates the scope these approaches offer for sustainable responses that benefits not only displaced people but also host societies. It provides a systematic analytical and methodological framework for: mitigating the negative impacts, by improving strategies to tackle the economic costs and impacts of displacement; and maximising developmental returns from displacement.