A scoping review of economic integration interventions and programs for refugees

Most refugees worldwide live in protracted exile, highlighting the need for policies and interventions that adopt sustainable, long-term approaches to support refugee integration. Economic integration is a central dimension of the broader integration process, influencing outcomes across multiple areas of life. This scoping review is among the first to systematically map research on programs and interventions aimed at promoting the economic integration of refugees. The study followed the Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. A systematic search across four academic databases yielded over 8000 studies, of which 25 met the inclusion criteria. Data charting and synthesis identified six categories for the studied economic interventions and policies: employment-based interventions, cash-based assistance programs, training-based interventions, mentorship-based programs, multi-domain interventions, and other types. While a systematic review or meta-analysis is needed to rigorously assess the effectiveness of the reviewed categories of economic empowerment interventions, preliminary insights from the summarized outcomes point to a set of mixed outcomes. Employment‑based interventions were most often associated with short‑term labor market entry, cash‑based assistance programs frequently addressed immediate needs, and findings related to training‑ and mentorship‑based interventions varied considerably across contexts and study designs. Studies on multi‑domain interventions in the Global South suggested a broader range of economic‑related changes. This review contributes to the literature by offering a structured overview of the main categories of economic empowerment interventions implemented among refugee populations.