Factors in the Residential Choices of Self-Settled Afghan Refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan

Previous research indicated that settlement behaviors of refugees and rural-to-urban migrants in Third World contexts are influenced by: 1) geographic origins, 2) ethnicity, 3) education level, 4) employment background, 5) political involvement, 6) dates of departure from the homeland and 7) reasons for leaving. This research evaluates the influence of these factors on residential choices of Afghan refugees self-settled in Peshawar, Pakistan. The data indicated that ethnogeographic ties, political involvement, and lack of political activity had been most affective in motivating residential associations and disassociations. Other variables were related to ethnicity, origins and status and, thus, did not influence directly residential choices.