The Financial Journey of Refugees: Evidence from Greece, Jordan and Turkey

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Author(s)
Wilson, K. & Krystalli, R.
Publication language
English
Pages
109pp
Date published
01 Sep 2017
Publisher
Institute for Human Security
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Livelihoods, Host Communities, Urban, Forced displacement and migration
Countries
Greece, Jordan, Turkey
Organisations
Tufts University
Link
http://fic.tufts.edu/publication-item/the-financial-journey-of-refugees/

This report investigates what money and financial transactions can reveal about the journeys and experiences of forced migration. The research examines money as a key node of the displacement experience and highlights the transactions and the power dynamics that unfold among refugees as well as between refugees and formal or informal authorities.

Four areas of inquiry emerged during the study:

  • How do refugees gather, move, store, spend, and make money along the journey of their displacement? How do their strategies lead to enhanced risk and/or self-protection along the way? 
  • How do financial transactions structure relationships among refugees, as well as between refugees and formal or informal authorities, such as smugglers, informal money transfer agents, and formal banking systems? 
  • How does the humanitarian system—and, in particular, cash assistance to refugees— shape the aforementioned financial transactions and relationships? 
  • What are the roles of refugee identity—in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion, and family status—and the documentation of that identity in shaping financial transactions, relationships, vulnerability, and coping strategies?

The report contains several key findings regarding the financial portfolios of refugees, financial relationships on the move, humanitarian assistance as part of refugees’ financial portfolios, and identity on the move.