Refugee entrepreneurs: Typologies of emancipation and impact

Abstract

The economic and social impacts of refugee entrepreneurs on host countries are becoming increasingly significant. Drawing on interviews with 33 Syrian refugee entrepreneurs from different backgrounds in Turkey, we theorise the conditions, mechanisms and outcomes of individual and collective emancipation that refugee entrepreneurs garner. Our qualitative study offers two theoretical contributions to the literature. First, we develop a typology of emancipation (self-made, political, resource-driven and complete emancipation) among refugee entrepreneurs and identify two emancipation mechanisms (i.e. seeking autonomy and crafting/strengthening) that transform the conditions of refugee entrepreneurs. Second, we demonstrate how emancipation fosters individual empowerment, collective success and positive societal impact. We connect these theoretical expansions to suggest evidence-based policy and practice recommendations on integration and support the emancipatory potential of refugee entrepreneurship. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.