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The Long-Term Outcomes of Refugees: Tracking the Progress of the East African Asians

Author

Listed:
  • Anders, Jake
  • Burgess, Simon

    (University of Bristol)

  • Portes, Jonathan

    (King's College London)

Abstract

Refugees are often perceived as an economic "burden", as the current debate on the European refugee crisis illustrates. But there is little quantitative evidence on the medium-term outcomes of refugees in the UK. We fill this gap by looking at the case of "East African Asians" who arrived as refugees in the late 1960s and early 1970s. We use data from the UK Census to describe their economic outcomes forty years later. We show that their outcomes are at least as good as the population average, with the younger cohort performing better. Refugee status, as distinct from ethnicity or immigrant status, appears to have a positive impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Anders, Jake & Burgess, Simon & Portes, Jonathan, 2018. "The Long-Term Outcomes of Refugees: Tracking the Progress of the East African Asians," IZA Discussion Papers 11609, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11609
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Simon Burgess, 2014. "Understanding the success of London’s schools," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 14/333, The Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol, UK.
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    8. Stuart Campbell, 2013. "Over-education among A8 migrants in the UK," DoQSS Working Papers 13-09, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
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    Cited by:

    1. Maciej Duszczyk & Agata Górny & Paweł Kaczmarczyk & Andrzej Kubisiak, 2023. "War refugees from Ukraine in Poland – one year after the Russian aggression. Socioeconomic consequences and challenges," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(1), pages 181-199, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    refugees; migration; East African Asians;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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