Leaving the camps behind: the role of Development Communication in refugee-host integration

Despite the large number of communication strategies aimed at addressing issues specific to people living in refugee camps, no communication effort has targeted integration between refugees and host communities from a development perspective. As a result, there is a substantial lack of research on how Development Communication can be applied to this context. In the communication literature, research on Intercultural Communication predominates this field. This article moves away from this conceptual framework and builds a case for the role of Development Communication in establishing durable social bonds between refugees and host communities, whose benefits are seen to expand to broader areas.