Policy interest in social cohesion among displaced populations is on the rise, but it remains a vague and contested concept (see Box 1). There is little consensus on how to define or measure social cohesion, the conditions that promote it, or the benefits it can bring (Finn, 2017; de Berry and Roberts, 2018; Delhey et al., 2018). Considering these gaps, Tanzania is a strategic location for studying social cohesion in displacement over time and across locations. It has a rich history of hosting refugees over successive waves and decades, with its approach fluctuating between inclusion and exclusion (see Figure 1) (Milner, 2019). Shifting national policy has governed how and where refugees live, and what rights and status they are afforded – with significant repercussions for the nature and quality of social relations between refugees and hosts.