Chapter 13 - Mobilisation of Syrian investors and the private sector to boost local economic development in refugee hosting municipalities

Abstract

Only in recent times have development actors thought in a systematic way about how the private sector can play a role in improving the lives of refugees and of those living in the hosting environment (municipalities, camp and peri-camp settings and rural areas). However, this question is not new: over the course of human history, the forcibly displaced have often gravitated around cities and have been absorbed informally, placing strains on the economic and social fabrics of their hosts. The question that has emerged now can rather be formulated as follows: can a more systematic approach be adopted for private sector-led growth in hosting contexts?