IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i17p10469-d895121.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Formal Micro-Credit for Refugees: New Evidence and Thoughts on an Elusive Path to Self-Reliance

Author

Listed:
  • Swati M. Dhawan

    (Department of Economic Geography, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ostenstraße 18, D-85072 Eichstätt, Germany)

  • Kim Wilson

    (The Fletcher School, Tufts University, 160 Packard Ave, Medford, MA 02155, USA)

  • Hans-Martin Zademach

    (Department of Economic Geography, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ostenstraße 18, D-85072 Eichstätt, Germany)

Abstract

The provision of formal micro-credit for refugees has been promoted as a dignified way to improve their ability to generate income through small-scale enterprises and reduce poverty. As humanitarian funding declines in protracted displacement situations, such approaches are sought to transform refugees into self-reliant, resilient, entrepreneurial agents who are no longer dependent on aid and can overcome a crisis with their own resources and financial confidence. The paper in hand questions this claim on the basis of new, comprehensive empirical insights on the financial lives of refugees in non-camp settings in Jordan. By applying the perspective of the credit users, not the suppliers, our evidence shows that the pervasive use of debt (mostly informal) does not signify latent demand for formal micro-credit. In a context where refugees face restrictions on right to work, move, set up businesses, and imagine a future in the host country, formal credit cannot improve self-reliance. The paper sheds light on a larger variety of sources of debt that are crucial for refugees to manage their lives. In conclusion, the paper argues that the rhetoric around micro-credit as a path to refugee self-reliance has to be re-visited as problematic, even damaging, and humanitarian actors should push this agenda with caution.

Suggested Citation

  • Swati M. Dhawan & Kim Wilson & Hans-Martin Zademach, 2022. "Formal Micro-Credit for Refugees: New Evidence and Thoughts on an Elusive Path to Self-Reliance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-21, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:17:p:10469-:d:895121
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/17/10469/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/17/10469/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ali Bhagat & Leanne Roderick, 2020. "Banking on refugees: Racialized expropriation in the fintech era," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(8), pages 1498-1515, November.
    2. Richard Chamboko & Sevias Guvuriro, 2021. "The Role of Betting on Digital Credit Repayment, Coping Mechanisms and Welfare Outcomes: Evidence from Kenya," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Michael Clemens & Cindy Huang & Jimmy Graham, 2018. "The Economic and Fiscal Effects of Granting Refugees Formal Labor Market Access," Working Papers 496, Center for Global Development.
    4. Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo & Rachel Glennerster & Cynthia Kinnan, 2015. "The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 22-53, January.
    5. Mersland, Roy & Strøm, R. Øystein, 2010. "Microfinance Mission Drift?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 28-36, January.
    6. Morduch, Jonathan, 2000. "The Microfinance Schism," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 617-629, April.
    7. Antonia Fernandez, 2011. "Why Doesn’t Microfinance Work? The Destructive Rise of Local Neoliberalism," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 23(1), pages 174-175, February.
    8. Abhijit Banerjee & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Zinman, 2015. "Six Randomized Evaluations of Microcredit: Introduction and Further Steps," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, January.
    9. Karlan, Dean & Morduch, Jonathan, 2010. "Access to Finance," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4703-4784, Elsevier.
    10. van Rooyen, C. & Stewart, R. & de Wet, T., 2012. "The Impact of Microfinance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of the Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(11), pages 2249-2262.
    11. Marguerite S. Robinson, 2001. "The Microfinance Revolution," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 28956.
    12. Chliova, Myrto & Brinckmann, Jan & Rosenbusch, Nina, 2015. "Is microcredit a blessing for the poor? A meta-analysis examining development outcomes and contextual considerations," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 467-487.
    13. Isabelle Guérin & Jean-Michel Servet & Dominique Labie, 2015. "The crises of microcredit," Post-Print halshs-02913573, HAL.
    14. Banerjee, Abhijit & Duflo, Esther, 2014. "(Measured) Profit is Not Welfare: Evidence from an Experiment on Bundling Microcredit and Insurance," CEPR Discussion Papers 10146, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nartey Menzo, Benjamin Prince & Mogre, Diana & Asuamah Yeboah, Samuel, 2024. "Beyond Income: The Complexities of Credit Risk in Developing Countries," MPRA Paper 122364, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 20 Sep 2024.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lucas Lopes Ferreira de Souza & Francesca Bassi & Ana Augusta Ferreira de Freitas, 2021. "Longitudinal analysis of microfinance borrowers in Brazil: A dynamic market segmentation," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(6), pages 1063-1083, August.
    2. Gutiérrez-Nieto, Begoña & Serrano-Cinca, Carlos, 2019. "20 years of research in microfinance: An information management approach," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 183-197.
    3. Patrick Reichert, 2018. "A meta-analysis examining the nature of trade-offs in microfinance," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 430-452, July.
    4. D’Espallier, Bert & Goedecke, Jann & Hudon, Marek & Mersland, Roy, 2017. "From NGOs to Banks: Does Institutional Transformation Alter the Business Model of Microfinance Institutions?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 19-33.
    5. Simon Zaby, 2019. "Science Mapping of the Global Knowledge Base on Microfinance: Influential Authors and Documents, 1989–2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-21, July.
    6. Nakano, Yuko & Magezi, Eustadius F., 2020. "The impact of microcredit on agricultural technology adoption and productivity: Evidence from randomized control trial in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    7. Erhardt, Eva, 2017. "Microfinance beyond self-employment: Evidence for firms in Bulgaria," MPRA Paper 79294, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. N’Guessan, Marie Noëlle & Hartarska, Valentina, 2021. "Funding for BOP in Emerging Markets: Organizational Forms and Capital Structures of Microfinance Institutions," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    9. Gamble, Edward N., 2018. "‘Bang for buck’ in microfinance: Wellbeing mentorship or business education?," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 137-144.
    10. Erhardt, Eva Christine, 2017. "Microfinance beyond self-employment: Evidence for firms in Bulgaria," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 75-95.
    11. Garcia, Adriana & Lensink, Robert & Voors, Maarten, 2020. "Does microcredit increase aspirational hope? Evidence from a group lending scheme in Sierra Leone," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    12. Singh, Nirvikar, 2018. "Financial Inclusion: Concepts, Issues and Policies for India," MPRA Paper 91047, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Catalina Martinez, 2015. "Doing Well by Doing Good? Empirical Evidence from Microfinance," CFD Working Papers 06-2015, Centre for Finance and Development, The Graduate Institute.
    14. Bédécarrats, Florent & Guérin, Isabelle & Morvant-Roux, Solène & Roubaud, François, 2019. "Estimating microcredit impact with low take-up, contamination and inconsistent data. A replication study of Crépon, Devoto, Duflo, and Parienté (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2015)," International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics (IREE), ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 3(2019-3), pages 1-22.
    15. Gyorgy Molnar & Attila Havas, 2019. "Escaping from the poverty trap with social innovation: a social microcredit programme in Hungary," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1912, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    16. Niels Hermes & Marek Hudon, 2018. "Determinants Of The Performance Of Microfinance Institutions: A Systematic Review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(5), pages 1483-1513, December.
    17. Rahul Nilakantan & Deepak Iyengar & Samar K. Datta & Shashank Rao, 2021. "On Ethical Violations in Microfinance Backed Small Businesses: Family and Household Welfare," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(4), pages 785-802, September.
    18. S. SARAVANAN & Devi Prasad DASH, 2017. "Growth and distribution of microfinance in India: A panel data analysis," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania / Editura Economica, vol. 0(1(610), S), pages 127-146, Spring.
    19. João Paulo Coelho Ribeiro & Fábio Duarte & Ana Paula Matias Gama, 2022. "Does microfinance foster the development of its clients? A bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-35, December.
    20. Joana Silva Afonso, 2020. "Impact evaluation, social performance assessment and standardisation: reflections from microfinance evaluations in Pakistan and Zimbabwe," Working Papers in Economics & Finance 2020-14, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth Business School, Economics and Finance Subject Group.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:17:p:10469-:d:895121. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.