political. Asylum countries may inflate numbers of refugees to maximize international assistance, to tarnish the reputation of countries of origin or to bolster their own. Alternatively, they may report artificially low numbers to avoid antagonizing countries of origin (Crisp 1999). In some contexts, it may be politically expedient to only recognize IDPs displaced by some parties to the conflict but not others or to only recognize IDPs of particular ethnicities in order to influence the allocation of assistance. It may also be politically expedient for governments to prolong IDP status in order to create leverage in negotiations. There may be pressure not to officially recognize informal urban settlements where the majority of displaced people in urban areas reside. For countries of origin, there may be pressure to inflate reported numbers of returnees to demonstrate political success or to maximize assistance for reintegration efforts.

From a development perspective, evolving definitions of conflict-induced forced displacement reflect consideration of the specific vulnerabilities of displaced populations distinct from their legal status or statistical measurement, and also include a strong focus on returnees, host countries and affected host communities. For development actors, forcibly displaced people are of particular concern because they have specific socio-economic vulnerabilities linked to their displacement, which constrain their ability to take advantage of economic opportunities and consequently leave them susceptible to poverty. Such specific vulnerabilities typically include: a sudden and catastrophic loss of assets (including social capital), which can have long-lasting consequences; trauma and psychological stress; a temporary legal status or loss of rights (which can result in limited freedom of movement, legal restrictions on employment, decreased access to education and health services, and vulnerability to abuse); an uncertain situation that makes it difficult to plan or invest; and being “out of place” economically (residing in an environment where there is no demand for their skills). It is because such vulnerabilities are unique to those who are displaced that traditional poverty reduction efforts may not suffice and that special interventions may be needed. The development response therefore aims to help mitigate or even eliminate these vulnerabilities, while also addressing the impact of displacement on host countries and communities.<sup>13</sup> The Bank has assisted several countries to prepare and implement development operations focused on mitigating the impacts of forced displacement, a selection of which are outlined in Box 4 below. In this sense, the “population of particular focus” for development actors is distinct from that of humanitarian agencies, although there is likely to be significant overlap.

**Table 1: Three Perspectives on Forced Displacement**

|**Legal perspective**|**Statistical perspective**|**Development perspective**|
|---|---|---|
|Definitions are drawn from the<br>various international and regional<br>conventions on refugees and IDPs,<br>and in some cases from national<br>laws and regulations.|Definitions employed by<br>governments or organizations<br>responsible for collecting and<br>compiling data on the forcibly<br>displaced. These tend to vary within<br>and between countries due to<br>different objectives and<br>methodologies.|Definitions reflect consideration of<br>the economic and social<br>vulnerabilities of displaced, host and<br>returnee populations distinct from<br>their legal status. Consideration is<br>also given to the locations of<br>displaced populations and the<br>degree to which they can be<br>reached by development<br>interventions due to security<br>conditions.|

# **Refugees**

Refugee status is defined by a well-developed body of international law (see Box 2). However, differences between the definition of a refugee in the 1951 Convention (updated by the 1967 Protocol) and the expanded definition of a refugee in the OAU Convention and the Cartagena Declaration, means that an individual may be considered a refugee in one part of the world but not qualify for that status in another part of the world. The 1951 Convention (Article 1C) also defines the conditions under which an individual’s refugee status ends including: (a) voluntary repatriation to their country of origin; (b) naturalization in their

> 13 The arrival and inclusion of large numbers of refugees, IDPs or returnees in specific locations creates both risks and opportunities for host countries and communities. The presence of large displaced populations can transform the environment in which poverty reduction efforts are being designed and implemented by national and local authorities.