Refugee integration is one of the central policy challenges facing host countries. While much attention has been paid to formal labor market and language programs, the role of social networks and community ties in facilitating integration remains less well understood. The Community Sponsorship (CS) model, promoted by UNHCR and implemented in numerous countries worldwide, offers a promising approach: it matches newly arrived refugees with local contacts from the host municipality with the aim of improving language skills, enabling cultural exchange, and building new social networks.

This project provides the first randomized evaluation of the CS model. We have partnered with several Swedish municipalities that work closely with local civil society organizations (CSOs) to create these matches. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) combined with survey and Swedish administrative register data, we evaluate the effects of the intervention on social and economic integration outcomes, as well as refugees’ values, health, and well-being. Given the widespread global adoption of the CS model, which has helped resettle hundreds of thousands of refugees worldwide, this study will generate evidence of direct relevance to both research and policy debates on scalable integration interventions.

Trial registration 

AEA RCT Registry 13394.

Funding

This project has been funded by Handelsbanken Research Foundations.