Local governments and the sustainable integration of refugees in Ethiopia

Local governments and the sustainable integration of refugees in Ethiopia

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Binkert, Eva / Merlin Flaig / Lukas Frucht et al.
Discussion Paper 21/2021

Bonn: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

ISBN: 978-3-96021-161-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.23661/dp21.2021
Price: 6 €

Ethiopia is the second largest refugee-hosting country in Africa; it accommodates around 700,000 refugees, mostly from neighbouring countries. Humanitarian and development actors are increasingly highlighting the local integration of refugees as a durable solution to protracted refugee situations. Hosting states are called upon to include refugees in their national public services, rather than to sustain a parallel (humanitarian) system, and to empower refugees to secure their own livelihoods as part of the local community. The international community has endorsed this idea by adopting the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and vowing financial support. Ethiopia is one of the pilot countries implementing this framework. However, the execution of the ambitious approach faces many challenges. This paper focusses on the role of local governments within the CRRF implementation process; they have not yet been the focus of attention even though sustainable solutions largely depend on them. Results show that the CRRF implementation process has slowed down considerably in the past years, mostly remaining on a project base. Shifting political priorities, a lack of leadership and coordination at the national level as well as the unclear role and low capacities of local governments are major barriers to the local integration of refugees.

About the authors

Grävingholt, Jörn

Political Scientist

Grävingholt

Kuhnt, Jana

Development Economist

Kuhnt

Flaig, Merlin

Social Science

Flaig

Frucht, Lukas

Geography

Binkert, Eva

Political Science

Further experts

Baumann, Max-Otto

Political Science 

Breuer, Anita

Political Scientist 

Christ, Simone

Social Anthropology 

Dick, Eva

Sociologist and Spatial Planner 

Ekoh, Susan S.

Environmental Research 

El-Haddad, Amirah

Economy 

Fasold, Maximilian

Political Economy 

Haldenwang, Christian von

Political Science 

Houdret, Annabelle

Political Scientist 

Jaji, Rose

Anthropology 

Leininger, Julia

Political Scientist 

Martin-Shields, Charles

Political Science 

Morare, Ditebogo Modiegi

Political Science 

Nowack, Daniel

Political Science 

Roll, Michael

Sociology