Popular images of refugees depict thousands of traumatized people pouring across borders, congregating in camps where relief agencies try to meet their health and food needs in and outside camps. This book explores the economic life of refugees in protracted situations in a variety of settings: in camps, in urban areas and in third countries in the West. In The Economic Life of Refugees, Karen Jacobsen stresses that refugees fleeing violence and persecution are economic actors. She explores how some of the innovative ideas influencing migration theory can be applied to the study of refugees, and the ways in which humanitarian programs can support their efforts to pursue their livelihoods.