Abstract
How does exposure to extremist ideologies affect refugee integration? To delve into this question, we utilize a census of Afghan refugees carried out in Tajikistan in 2023, after the dramatic and sudden shift in territorial control of the Taliban in Afghanistan. We find that refugees born in provinces with greater exposure to the Taliban’s territorial control between 2017 and 2021, are less integrated within host communities, relative to their counterparts. Complementary analyses suggest that these refugees also exhibit lower levels of education attainment and have more prevalent mental health issues. We do not detect, however, any impacts of exposure to extremist ideologies on income, consumption, or labor market-related variables.