Agricultural Production and Conflict Refugee Status: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from a Policy Intervention Programme in Rwanda∗

This study uses Rwandan household survey data to evaluate the impact of conflict-induced migration on agricultural productivity, as well as to assess the effect of the Rwandan government’s housing and land redistribution policy. The hypothesis that the policy improved output by a pure resource effect is tested against a human capital spill-over effect hypothesis. Time differentials in the implementation of the policy across villages are used to assess its impact, despite the absence of repeated cross-sections. The findings suggest that the policy was successful in raising migrants’ agricultural production, mainly by increasing access to land. No evidence is found in favour of an increase in returnees’ productivity in policy areas, although returnees in these areas are found to benefit from having access to agricultural extension services.