- (a) What are the scale (stocks, flows and locations) and nature of the socio-economic vulnerabilities, welfare and needs of displaced people (including those that are unique to displaced people as well as those shared with host communities), and how are these evolving over time?

- (b) What are the scale (numbers and locations) and nature of impacts (both positive and negative) on host communities, e.g. in terms of service delivery, welfare, jobs and social cohesion, and how are these evolving over time?

- (c) What are the fiscal and macroeconomic impacts on host countries, and how are these changing over time?

- (d) What has been the scale of returns (numbers and locations), how successful have these returns been, and what are the impediments to sustainable reintegration including the socioeconomic vulnerabilities, welfare and needs of returnees (both those that are unique to returnees as well as those shared with communities in return areas)?

- (e) What have been the impacts of previous interventions in various contexts to address the development challenges posed by forced displacement, and what lessons can inform the design of future interventions?

These analytical questions require data collection efforts that go beyond the information requirements to support humanitarian responses in the areas of protection and assistance. Very broadly, the additional data requirements include: (a) estimates of the numbers of returnees that have yet to be successfully/sustainably reintegrated and data on their locations; (b) estimates of the size of affected host populations and data on the impact of displacement on host countries and communities; (c) data on the socio-economic vulnerabilities, welfare and needs of displaced and returnee populations; and (d) rigorous impact assessments of interventions in various contexts to address the development impacts of forced displacement.

# **Returnees**

Data on returns of refugees and IDPs are incomplete. UNHCR provides data on refugees who have returned to their host countries (39 countries during 2015) and some data on returned IDPs (i.e. only former IDPs that were protected or assisted by UNHCR) including both assisted and unassisted returns. IDMC provides very rough estimates of returns of IDPs (in 20 of 52 countries it monitored in 2015). However, there are significant challenges associated with obtaining figures on IDP returns and actual return figures may be considerably higher (IDMC 2015). In practice, the quality of data is more solid for those who have returned with assistance from UNHCR or other international agencies than for unassisted returns.

There is limited data on the success or sustainability<sup>96</sup> of reintegration following return. In many situations returns are not sustainable leading to onward migration or secondary displacement. Even when returnees resettle permanently in their areas of origin, they may continue to face obstacles to their full reintegration. However, publicly available data on returns do not extend to an assessment of the success or sustainability of return and reintegration, making it difficult to assess the degree to which specific groups of returnees still have vulnerabilities and needs linked to their displacement. A starting point for this kind of assessment may be the eight criteria for sustainable returns set out in the IASC Framework on Durable Solutions for IDPs.<sup>97</sup> conflict-affected countries to address some of the drivers of forced displacement and promote returns; and (f) support to returnees and communities in return areas to facilitate successful and sustainable reintegration.

> 96 UNHCR conducts protection monitoring in return areas that informs programming, as well as communication with refugees and IDPs about conditions so as to inform their decisions; this information should complement all statistics about returns – both assisted and spontaneous.

> 97 JIPS, under the leadership of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of IDPs, is developing a methodology and tools to apply the IASC Framework’s eight criteria for durable solutions (Beyani, Baal and Caterina 2016).