The effect of schooling on the integration of refugee households: Evidence from Uganda

• In Event: Diverse and inclusive education: refugee integration, remote tutoring and theatre education

Proposal

The world has been experiencing a drastic upsurge in the number of refugees, and two-thirds of them were in a protracted situation (UNHCR 2024). It is also important to note that 70% of them are hosted in neighboring countries, including the least developed countries. In these countries, it is impractical to provide necessary support for refugees by relying solely on humanitarian assistance. Considering this, linking short-term refugee aid with medium-term development projects has been mainstreamed. How to promote the integration of refugees in the host country has become a major policy agenda in developing countries as well.
In July 2016, intense conflicts erupted in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, prompting one of the worst refugee crises in sub-Saharan Africa. More than half the South Sudanese who fled the country went to Uganda, which is known for having one of the most progressive refugee policies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the Self-Reliance Strategy was introduced in 1998, the government has been implementing a local settlement approach in which education is provided to both refugees and the host population within a national system to ease the burden of both donor and host countries. The current refugee law explicitly gives all refugees in Uganda a right to get access to the same primary education provided to host country natives. However, refugees, especially those isolated in rural settlements, still face exclusion in several dimensions.
In developing country contexts, several studies have been conducted to estimate the effect of refugee presence on host community’s attitudes. Several empirical studies have been conducted in Uganda. For instance, Zhou et al. (2023) found no evidence that refugee presence has been associated with more negative attitudes of Ugandans toward migrants. Another influential study by Betts et al. (2023) shows a small positive and significant correlation between refugee-host interaction and the perception of Ugandans toward refugees. However, little attention has been paid to exploring the determinants of refugees’ integration in developing countries.
In fact, most of the studies on the determinants of refugee integration were conducted in developed countries. This is because, in the resettlement to a safe third country, refugee integration is a primary concern. Studies have found that, in these contexts, educational levels play a significant role in refugees’ economic integration (e.g., De Vroome & Van Tubergen 2010), while some studies found no significant effect (e.g., Hannafi & Marouani 2023). Instead, Hannafi & Marouani (2023) found that the number of acquaintances from other countries has a positive effect on economic integration among Syrian refugees in Germany.
Moreover, in developed countries, emerging literature investigates the role of refugee children’s schooling on their parents' integration into the host country. Gambaro et al. (2021) found a significant positive effect of ECCE attendance by refugee children on their parents' integration in Germany. A recent study also assesses the effect of the primary school attendance of the oldest child in a migrant household on parental integration, finding a significant positive effect (Sommerfeld, 2023). The underlying assumption in these studies is that regular interactions with teaching staff and other parents are likely to allow refugees to foster networks. However, few empirical studies have investigated the effect of education in facilitating the integration of refugees in developing countries.
Against this background, this study attempts to explore the determinants of refugees’ social/economic integration with a special focus on the effects of refugee children’s schooling/having friends in host communities. Focus is given to the situations among refugees in rural settlements. This study draws on 2018 Uganda Refugee and Host Communities Household Survey (URHS), carried out by the Office of the Prime Minister, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), and the World Bank Group’s Poverty and Equity Global Practice. The data was collected by UBOS in June and July 2018. The URHS is nationally representative of the refugee population and native population in districts with refugee settlements. The sample is restricted to refugees in rural settlements. The study mainly used probit model since outcome variables in this study are binominal, including receptive attitude toward hosts and employment status.
One of the key preliminary findings is that, in line with the findings of Gambaro et al. (2021) and Sommerfeld (2023), estimates show a statistically significant positive effect on refugee families’ positive attitude toward hosts. However, the study found no statistically significant effect on refugees’ economic integration. In addition, estimation results show that refugees are more likely to have a positive attitude toward hosts as well as have work in refugee settlements if they have a child who has a Ugandan friend in their home.
Restricting the sample to those in rural settlements, this study explored the correlation between refugees’ economic/social integration and their children’s primary school attendance/children’s network in the host community. Although the results are not strictly causal, estimates suggest that activities that facilitate refugee children’s interaction with host community children could promote their families’ economic/social integration. As one of the few channels that can reach out to the most vulnerable groups among the refugees, there may be scope for the government and donors to maximize the potential of schools, particularly the ones that promotes the interaction between refugee and host children, in facilitating refugee households’ integration.

Author

• Katsuki Sakaue, Kobe University