Navigating the Effects of Displacement: Colombia

Following the release of the first edition of PROGRESS 2023 report, the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) carried out focus group discussions to understand the nuances of the effects of displacement from the perspectives of individuals who were displaced, had returned or were part of communities which hosted IDPs. The focus group discussions served as a forum to share viewpoints that are not often captured by traditional data collection exercises, including affected communities' perceptions of cultural and gendered effects of displacement in their communities. The discussions were conducted in local languages and translated by IOM DTM staff.

The findings in this report were gathered from the qualitative analysis of two focus group discussions conducted between 1 and 15 August 2023 in Bogotá with 19 representatives of the IDP population to provide their perspectives on the effects of displacement and progress towards durable solutions. Over half (68%) of the respondents were female and all respondents were between the age of 18 and 59. More than a third (36%) were Afro-Colombian and 16 per cent belonged to Indigenous groups. Over half (58%) of respondents served as local community leaders.