Social Protection Systems for Refugees in the Great Lakes Region

Christopher C. Gabelle, Jordi Jose Gallego-Ayala, Rodolfo Beazley, Ewen Macleod and Scovia Aweko

No 209057, The Social Policy and Labor Discussion Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: Refugee inclusion in national social protection systems in fragile and conflict affected settings is central to development responses to protracted displacement. Focusing on the Great Lakes Region (GLR) - Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda - this report assesses the capacity of existing social protection systems to support refugees beyond short term humanitarian assistance and contribute to resilience, self reliance, and social cohesion. Using an adapted adaptive social protection framework, the analysis examines five core system dimensions:(a) policies and legal rights, (b) institutional arrangements, (c) programs and delivery systems, (d) data and information systems, and (e) financing. The report draws on policy and legal analysis, administrative and expenditure data, and country level program evidence to map current practices and identify binding constraints to refugee inclusion. Findings show that while GLR countries have ratified international refugee frameworks and demonstrate growing policy openness to development oriented approaches, refugee assistance remains predominantly humanitarian, externally financed, and weakly integrated into national systems. Government led social safety net programs—including cash transfers, and labor intensive public works—have begun to include refugees in selected contexts, but coverage remains limited and uneven. Key constraints include fragmented institutional mandates, nascent social registries, limited interoperability with humanitarian data systems, and insufficient and unpredictable financing. The report concludes that progress ively integrating refugees into national social protection systems, on parity with host communities facing comparable vulnerabilities, offers a fiscally responsible and sustainable pathway to reduce aid dependence in protracted displacement contexts

Date: 2026-04-01
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