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Life out of the Shadows : Impacts of Amnesties in the Lives of Refugees

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  • Ibáñez,Ana María
  • Moya,Andres
  • Ortega,María Adelaida
  • Rozo,Sandra V.
  • Urbina,Maria Jose

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of a government regularization program offered to half a millionVenezuelan refugees in Colombia. For this purpose, 2,232 surveys of refugee families were collected and used tocompare refugees who arrived in Colombia around a specified eligibility date in 2018. The analysis finds that programbeneficiaries experienced improvements in consumption (60 percent), income (31 percent), physical and mental health(1.8 sd), registration rates in the system that assesses vulnerability and awards public transfers (40 pp), andfinancial services (64.3 pp), relative to other refugees. The program also induced a change in labor formalization of10 pp.

Suggested Citation

  • Ibáñez,Ana María & Moya,Andres & Ortega,María Adelaida & Rozo,Sandra V. & Urbina,Maria Jose, 2022. "Life out of the Shadows : Impacts of Amnesties in the Lives of Refugees," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9928, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9928
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Dávalos, María Eugenia & Ardila Vargas, Luz Karine & Garcia-Suaza, Andres, 2023. "Barriers to the Integration of Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees in Colombia," Documentos de Trabajo 20822, Universidad del Rosario.
    2. Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & Ibanez, Ana Maria & Rozo, Sandra V. & Traettino, Salvador, 2023. "More Benefits, Fewer Children: How Regularization Affects Immigrant Fertility," IZA Discussion Papers 16170, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Salvador Traettino, 2022. "Migración forzada y finanzas públicas locales: Evidencia de los municipios en Colombia," Documentos CEDE 20335, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.

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