This introduction examines the current literature on refugees and civil conflict. Rather than treating refugees as the unfortunate victims of conflict and the by-product of war, recent literature places forced migration squarely within the study of political violence. While humanitarian issues are certainly significant, refugees are also important political actors who play an active part in conflict dynamics. Three themes are considered here: conflict as a cause of forced migration, forced migration as a cause of conflict, and policy responses to refugee flows. This contribution also outlines promising areas for future research and introduces the articles in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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