Refugee influx and economic activity : evidence from Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh

Abstract

Using nighttime lights data and the location of historically important markets for host populations in Southern Bangladesh, we assess the impact of the sudden refugee influx in August 2017 in the economic activity for the local community. Using a difference in difference estimation, we find that a sudden refugee influx produced an increase of 24% in economic activity in host markets within 5 kilometers of refugee camps. The results are robust to different specifications, and we include as controls the population around markets from the High-Resolution Settlement Layer by CIENSIN and Facebook and travel times through the local road networks. We argue that the refugee influx plus the humanitarian response are responsible for this effect. This paper contributes to the literature documenting the impacts of refugees on host communities.