Internal Displacement, Internal Migration, and Refugee Flows: Connecting the Dots

Abstract

Abstract How does internal displacement compare to other related forms of movement? This article draws on existing evidence to explore, specifically in countries affected by armed conflict or other serious violence, how internal displacement relates empirically to (1) internal economic migration as a more voluntary form of “internal” movement and (2) refugee flows as an external form of “forced” movement. This analysis of the available evidence suggests a shift may be needed in the ways in which research and policy frame internal displacement.