Socio-economic impacts of the presence of refugees from Rwanda and Burundi in Ngara district
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Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
This study investigated the impacts of the presence of the refugees on the socio economic
lives of the local host population in Ngara district, Tanzania. The objectives of the study
were to determine the access of the local people to social services as a result of the
settlement of the refugees, to determine the socioeconomic benefits and or the losses to the
refugees host communities. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and
interview schedules. A total of 120 respondents were interviewed from six villages
obtained by random and stratified sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics such as
frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were used to analyse the data.
Results of the study showed that social services such as health, education and water
services were adversely affected by the arrival of refugees in the refugee host communities.
The results also showed that the expansion of business and market opportunities, cheap
refugee labour, employment opportunities for local people
were the socio economic
benefits to the local population due to arrival of the refugees. While banditry,
deforestation, loss of capital, diseases and prostitution were evident due to the arrival of
refugees. The results show that different interventions which have been initiated by
different actors in addressing the negative effects of the presence of refugees in the host
communities like construction of schools, water points, dispensaries, environmental
protection etc. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that the government
should prepare emergency preparedness in refugee torn areas to reduce the effects of the
refugees upon arriving in the settlement in a country of asylum. The international
community, donor agencies and other agencies should continue to support the refugee
hosting communities in addressing the impacts of the refugees because the refugee
problem is a global shared responsibility.
Description
Master's Dissertation
Keywords
Socio-economic, Refugees, Rwanda and Burundi, Ngara district, Economic benefits