Codjoe S.N.A., Quartey P., Tagoe C.A., Reed H.E.
Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 96, Legon, Ghana; Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 74, Legon, Ghana; CUNY Institute for Demographic Research and Department of Sociology, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), New York,11367, United States
Codjoe, S.N.A., Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 96, Legon, Ghana; Quartey, P., Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 74, Legon, Ghana; Tagoe, C.A., Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 74, Legon, Ghana; Reed, H.E., CUNY Institute for Demographic Research and Department of Sociology, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), New York,11367, United States
This paper analyses the effects of the presence of Liberian refugees on cost of goods/services and business activities, pressure on resources/facilities, social vices and environmental activities based on perceptions (although attempts have been made to buttress the perceptions with information from focus group discussions) of hosts and refugees. The analysis included gender and type of occupation from within and among the groups. The aim was to ascertain whether the presence of refugees are viewed as having positive, negative or mixed impacts. Data are from 10 focus group discussions and 120 household surveys undertaken in April 2007. Results show that although there are gender and occupational differentials, host communities contend that refugees have increased the costs of goods and services, brought pressure on facilities, increased social vices and deteriorated environmental resources. However, refugees are viewed as a source of income and market, and trade partners, who have brought a lot of infrastructural developments. Thus, one can describe refugee presence as having mixed impacts. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.