The Ethnicity of Refugees (ER): A New Dataset for Understanding Flight Patterns

Seraina Rüegger

Heidrun Bohnet

Conflict Management and Peace Science. Forthcoming.

Introducing a new cross‐national dataset on the ethnicity of refugees, covering the years 1975–2009, this study analyzes refugee flight patterns. We argue that the asylum destination of refugees is not haphazard but determined by trans‐border ethnic linkages. Building on migration theories, we elaborate a theoretical framework for the direction of refugee movements, which includes spatial, temporal and cultural pull factors. The statistical results suggest that refugees flee to nearby countries with ethnic kin populations and a history of accepting other co‐ethnic refugees. Thus, sub‐national refugee characteristics, such as ethnicity, are essential to understanding the flight direction of refugees.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0738894215611865

DOI: 10.1177/0738894215611865

Rüegger, Seraina, and Heidrun Bohnet. “The Ethnicity of Refugees (ER): A New Dataset for Understanding Flight Patterns.” Conflict Management and Peace Science. Forthcoming.

@article{ruegger2015ethnicity,
   Author = {R{\"u}egger, Seraina and Bohnet, Heidrun},
   Journal = {Conflict Management and Peace Science.},
   Volume = {Forthcoming},
   Publisher = {SAGE Publications},
   Title = {The Ethnicity of Refugees (ER): A New Dataset for Understanding Flight Patterns},
   Year = {N.d.},
   abstract = {Introducing a new cross-national dataset on the ethnicity of refugees, covering the years 1975\textendash2009, this study analyzes refugee flight patterns. We argue that the asylum destination of refugees is not haphazard but determined by trans-border ethnic linkages. Building on migration theories, we elaborate a theoretical framework for the direction of refugee movements, which includes spatial, temporal and cultural pull factors. The statistical results suggest that refugees flee to nearby countries with ethnic kin populations and a history of accepting other co-ethnic refugees. Thus, sub-national refugee characteristics, such as ethnicity, are essential to understanding the flight direction of refugees.},
   doi = {10.1177/0738894215611865},
   url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0738894215611865}
}