Refugee and Development in Tanzania: An Exploration of benefits of Refugee Presence on Local Communities A case of North Western Tanzania

Abstract

Since its independence, Tanzania has been the location of choice for many refugees in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa. As one of the most impoverished countries in the world, mass refugee migrations such as those experienced in the 1990s alter Tanzania’s own plight for social and economic development. This study explores the effects that refugees have had upon host communities’ economy in North Western Tanzania. The study has shown that there is a variety of evidence to prove both positive and negative effects. Although in contrary to many attestations of most scholarly literatures the study has shown that the benefits that the refugees provide are greater than the liability that they pose. According to the findings of this study the presence of refugees in Tanzania has been shown to increase the economic capacity through infrastructure and employment opportunities. In addition, the influx has also increased the volume of trade and amount of income to host communities.  A balance sheet is created in order to appraise the relative economic effects that the refugees have caused throughout the years. Such a balance sheet should be considered in the development and implementation of future refugee policies to ensure appropriate treatment of the refugees and the host population in addition to supporting national economic growth.

Key words: Refugee, Development, Local communities, livelihood strategy, North Western Tanzania