Drivers and obstacles on refugee entrepreneurship. The host country perspective

Abstract

Refugee entrepreneurship encompasses the enterprising endeavors undertaken by individuals forced to flee their home countries. This research area has gained scholarly traction due to its profound relevance in the socio-economic perspective. To provide a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon, a thorough systematic literature review was conducted, drawing upon the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The review scrutinized a corpus of 57 scholarly articles, which were analyzed and categorized into two main themes: the profile of refugees regarding their entrepreneurial intentions, and the contextual factors within the host countries that either facilitate or impede their entrepreneurial pursuits. Refugee entrepreneurship is associated with the necessity-driven perspective, as individuals often embark on entrepreneurial ventures due to the shortage of viable employment opportunities in their host countries. However, there exists a nuanced perspective wherein some refugees leverage their innate entrepreneurial traits, finding resonance between the economic landscapes of their home and host countries. Nevertheless, the inception of entrepreneurial endeavors is invariably accompanied by some obstacles, spanning legal, financial, and socio-economic domains. These obstacles do not deter the entrepreneurial spirit ingrained within many refugees. Instead, they serve as catalysts for resilience and innovation, prompting the formulation of adaptive strategies to surmount barriers and carve out pathways to success, underscoring the economic activity of displaced individuals and exemplifying their capacity to effectuate positive change amidst adversity.