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Economic Impact on Host Communities: A Comparative Study of Rohingya and Afghan Exodus

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 6, 229 - 252, 01.04.2022

Abstract

Abstract
Rohingyas of Myanmar have achieved the status of refugees while escaping from violent torture and mass killing under the military of Myanmar. The Muslim community of Rohingya witnessed an extreme level of persecution for many years in this regard. Bangladesh has welcomed the Rohingya refugees as the country was the very next destination for the refugees. This research paper based on empirical evidence aims to uncover the economic impacts of the Rohingya crisis on the host country in recent years. In Bangladesh, all the development indicators are facing an upward trajectory in GDP. Obviously, the influx of migrants is a huge burden for the local economy. The refugee crisis has especially hit the region of Cox’s Bazar. The study aims to draw the attention of policymakers to the deteriorating effects of the influx of refugees both at present and in the future. It is time that the international community comes forward and forces the government of Myanmar to resolve the issue in order to help Bangladesh to get out of the extreme distress of the refugee influx. Furthermore, the crisis is analyzed keeping into consideration the case of Afghan refugees which also imposed a huge burden on the economy of Pakistan. Though very limited data is available in this regard the empirical results clearly indicate that Afghan refugees also produced a negative impact on the economic growth of Pakistan. Few important conclusions are developed through the comparative analysis of two case studies which finally entail that refugee influx can never be a boon to a country. Simply, such a crisis lowers real economic activities for host countries.

References

  • Ahmad, S. M., & Naeem, N. (2020). Adverse Economic Impact by Rohingya Refugees on Bangladesh: Some Way Forwards. International Journal of Social, Political and Economic Research, 7(1), 1-14. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3698176
  • Baha, L. (1986). Afghan refugees: Socioeconomic implications. Islamic Studies, 25(2), 161-179. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20839765?seq=1
  • Baloch, A., Shah, S. Z., Noor, Z. M., & Lacheheb, M. (2017). The economic effect of refugee crises on neighbouring host countries: Empirical evidence from Pakistan. International Migration, 55(6), 90-106. DOI:10.1111/imig.12389
  • Bhatty, S. (1987). Impact of the Afghan refugees on Pakistan. FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Available at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1674/
  • Centlivres, P., & Centlivres-Demont, M. (1988). The Afghan refugee in Pakistan: An ambiguous identity. J. Refugee Stud., 1, 141. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/85213452.pdf
  • Chambers, R. (1986). Hidden losers? The impact of rural refugees and refugee programs on poorer hosts. International migration review, 20(2), 245-263. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2546034?seq=1
  • Huang, C., Ash, N., Marcus, S., & Kate, G. (2018). The Rohingya Crisis: Bangladesh Deserves a Win-Win Solidarity Compact. Center for Global Development. Available at: https://www.cgdev.org/publication/rohingya-crisis-bangladesh-deserves-win-win-solidarity-compact
  • Kim, H. (2017). A Complex Crisis: The Twisted Roots of Myanmar’s Rohingya Conflict. Global Asia, Vol.12, No.3,( Sep, 2017): 259 Available at: https://www.globalasia.org/v12no3/focus/a-complex-crisis-the-twisted-roots-of-myanmars-rohingya-conflict_hyuk-kim
  • Khan, M., & Dempster, H. (2019). Sharing Responsibility for the Rohingya Crisis What Role Can Labor Mobility Agreements Play. Available at: https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/sharing-responsibility-labor-mobility.pdf
  • Kipgen, N. (2017). The Rohingya conundrum (Special Report #186). Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep09383.4.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Adc5234b89452d4eb5e8070a07e974f72
  • Mahmud, T. (2017). Rohingya Influx: 15- year- old forestation project destroyed in 57 days. Dhaka Tribune. Available at: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/10/21/rohingya-influx-15-year-old-forestation-project-destroyed-57-days
  • OCHA. (2018). Rohingya Refugee Crisis. Available at: https://www.unocha.org/rohingya-refugee-crisis
  • Population Trends. (n.d). UNFPA. Available at: https://bangladesh.unfpa.org/en/node/24314
  • Sajjad, T. (2020). What Motivated the country to open up its borders. The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/as-bangladesh-hosts-over-a-million-rohingya-refugees-a-scholar-explains-what-motivated-the-country-to-open-up-its-borders-133609
  • Siddique, W. (2019). The impact of Rohingya refugees on the local host community: the case of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh (Master's thesis). Available at: https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/116089/SiddiqueWahiduzzaman.pdf?sequence=2
  • The New Nation. (2017). Cox’s Bazar Tourism Sector Faces Serious Setback. Available at: https://thedailynewnation.com/news/154542/coxs-bazartourism-sector-faces-serious-setback.html
  • UNHCR. (2019). Population Map. Available at: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/74385
  • UNDP. (2019). Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities. Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/impacts-rohingya-refugee-influx-host-communities
  • UNHCR. (n.d.). Pakistan. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/pakistan.html
  • Wake, C., & Bryant, J. (2018). Capacity and complementarity in the Rohingya response in Bangladesh. Capacity and complementarity in the Rohingya response in Bangladesh. Available at: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/12554.pdf
  • YILMAZ, M. L., & Talukder, M. I. A. Economic Impact of Rohingya Exodus on Bangladesh. Liberal Düşünce Dergisi, 24(95), 111-129. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/823860

Economic Impact on Host Communities: A Comparative Study of Rohingya and Afghan Exodus

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 6, 229 - 252, 01.04.2022

Abstract

Rohingyas of Myanmar have achieved the status of refugees while escaping from violent torture and mass killing under the military of Myanmar. The Muslim community of Rohingya witnessed an extreme level of persecution for many years in this regard. Bangladesh has welcomed the Rohingya refugees as the country was the very next destination for the refugees. This research paper based on empirical evidence aims to uncover the economic impacts of the Rohingya crisis on the host country in recent years. In Bangladesh, all the development indicators are facing an upward trajectory in GDP. Obviously, the influx of migrants is a huge burden for the local economy. The refugee crisis has especially hit the region of Cox’s Bazar. The study aims to draw the attention of policymakers to the deteriorating effects of the influx of refugees both at present and in the future. It is time that the international community comes forward and forces the government of Myanmar to resolve the issue in order to help Bangladesh to get out of the extreme distress of the refugee influx. Furthermore, the crisis is analyzed keeping into consideration the case of Afghan refugees which also imposed a huge burden on the economy of Pakistan. Though very limited data is available in this regard the empirical results clearly indicate that Afghan refugees also produced a negative impact on the economic growth of Pakistan. Few important conclusions are developed through the comparative analysis of two case studies which finally entail that refugee influx can never be a boon to a country. Simply, such a crisis lowers real economic activities for host countries.

References

  • Ahmad, S. M., & Naeem, N. (2020). Adverse Economic Impact by Rohingya Refugees on Bangladesh: Some Way Forwards. International Journal of Social, Political and Economic Research, 7(1), 1-14. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3698176
  • Baha, L. (1986). Afghan refugees: Socioeconomic implications. Islamic Studies, 25(2), 161-179. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20839765?seq=1
  • Baloch, A., Shah, S. Z., Noor, Z. M., & Lacheheb, M. (2017). The economic effect of refugee crises on neighbouring host countries: Empirical evidence from Pakistan. International Migration, 55(6), 90-106. DOI:10.1111/imig.12389
  • Bhatty, S. (1987). Impact of the Afghan refugees on Pakistan. FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Available at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1674/
  • Centlivres, P., & Centlivres-Demont, M. (1988). The Afghan refugee in Pakistan: An ambiguous identity. J. Refugee Stud., 1, 141. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/85213452.pdf
  • Chambers, R. (1986). Hidden losers? The impact of rural refugees and refugee programs on poorer hosts. International migration review, 20(2), 245-263. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2546034?seq=1
  • Huang, C., Ash, N., Marcus, S., & Kate, G. (2018). The Rohingya Crisis: Bangladesh Deserves a Win-Win Solidarity Compact. Center for Global Development. Available at: https://www.cgdev.org/publication/rohingya-crisis-bangladesh-deserves-win-win-solidarity-compact
  • Kim, H. (2017). A Complex Crisis: The Twisted Roots of Myanmar’s Rohingya Conflict. Global Asia, Vol.12, No.3,( Sep, 2017): 259 Available at: https://www.globalasia.org/v12no3/focus/a-complex-crisis-the-twisted-roots-of-myanmars-rohingya-conflict_hyuk-kim
  • Khan, M., & Dempster, H. (2019). Sharing Responsibility for the Rohingya Crisis What Role Can Labor Mobility Agreements Play. Available at: https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/sharing-responsibility-labor-mobility.pdf
  • Kipgen, N. (2017). The Rohingya conundrum (Special Report #186). Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep09383.4.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Adc5234b89452d4eb5e8070a07e974f72
  • Mahmud, T. (2017). Rohingya Influx: 15- year- old forestation project destroyed in 57 days. Dhaka Tribune. Available at: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/10/21/rohingya-influx-15-year-old-forestation-project-destroyed-57-days
  • OCHA. (2018). Rohingya Refugee Crisis. Available at: https://www.unocha.org/rohingya-refugee-crisis
  • Population Trends. (n.d). UNFPA. Available at: https://bangladesh.unfpa.org/en/node/24314
  • Sajjad, T. (2020). What Motivated the country to open up its borders. The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/as-bangladesh-hosts-over-a-million-rohingya-refugees-a-scholar-explains-what-motivated-the-country-to-open-up-its-borders-133609
  • Siddique, W. (2019). The impact of Rohingya refugees on the local host community: the case of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh (Master's thesis). Available at: https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/116089/SiddiqueWahiduzzaman.pdf?sequence=2
  • The New Nation. (2017). Cox’s Bazar Tourism Sector Faces Serious Setback. Available at: https://thedailynewnation.com/news/154542/coxs-bazartourism-sector-faces-serious-setback.html
  • UNHCR. (2019). Population Map. Available at: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/74385
  • UNDP. (2019). Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities. Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/impacts-rohingya-refugee-influx-host-communities
  • UNHCR. (n.d.). Pakistan. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/pakistan.html
  • Wake, C., & Bryant, J. (2018). Capacity and complementarity in the Rohingya response in Bangladesh. Capacity and complementarity in the Rohingya response in Bangladesh. Available at: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/12554.pdf
  • YILMAZ, M. L., & Talukder, M. I. A. Economic Impact of Rohingya Exodus on Bangladesh. Liberal Düşünce Dergisi, 24(95), 111-129. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/823860
There are 21 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects International Relations
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Amna Nisar Abbası 0000-0001-5435-9391

Humza Tariq This is me 0000-0001-5435-9391

N. Umair This is me 0000-0001-5435-9391

Publication Date April 1, 2022
Submission Date October 11, 2021
Acceptance Date December 27, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2022 Volume: 4 Issue: 6

Cite

APA Abbası, A. N., Tariq, H., & Umair, N. (2022). Economic Impact on Host Communities: A Comparative Study of Rohingya and Afghan Exodus. Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Ve Eğitim Dergisi, 4(6), 229-252.

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