Refugee Governance, State and Politics in the Middle East

Description

The movement of displaced people, migrants and refugees has become increasingly important around the world, leading to a need for increased scrutiny of global responses and policies towards migration. This book focuses on the Middle East, where many nations are part of this global phenomenon as both home, transit and/or host country. Refugee Governance, State and Politics in the Middle East examines the patterns of legal, political and institutional responses to large-scale Syrian forced migration. It analyses the motivations behind neighbouring countries' policy responses, how their responses change over time and how they have an impact on regional and global cooperation. Looking in particular at Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, three of the world's top refugee hosting countries, this book explores how refugee governance differs across countries and why they diverge. To theorize variations, the book introduces multi-pattern and multi-stage refugee governance models as two complementary analytical frameworks. The book further argues that each of these three states’ refugee responses is constructed based on three main factors: internal political interests, economic-development related concerns, and foreign policy objectives as well as interactions among them. The book’s categorizations and models (on policy fields, actors, stages, patterns and driving forces) provide analytical tools to researchers for comparative analyses. Scholars and students of Comparative Politics, International Relations, Refugee Studies, Global Governance and Middle Eastern Studies will find this book a useful contribution to their fields. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction Lacunae: understanding patterns, stages and forces of refugee governance in the Middle East through comparison Key concepts Case selection Methodology and data collection Mapping of the book Notes References Part I: Literature, categorizations and models Chapter 2: The literature on state responses to mass migration in the Global South International protection and states’ sovereignty The current state of international cooperation: from burden/responsibility sharing to burden/responsibility shifting Understanding refugee governance in the Global South The Middle East region in the comparative migration literature Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan as exemplary cases of mass migration governance Notes References Chapter 3: Categorizations and models for comparative analysis of refuge emigration governance Categorization of policy areas and actors Meta-governance framework Theorizing variations within and across the national refugee governance(s): multi-pattern model Preventive policy pattern Inaction governance pattern Ad hoc refugee governance pattern Regulative refugee governance pattern Theorizing changes within a national refugee governance: multi-stage model Explanations typology on drivers of refugee governance International politics explanation National security and politics explanation Economy-development explanation Notes References Part II: Turkey Chapter 4: Patterns and stages of refugee governance in Turkey Context and history of refugee movements Legal and institutional framework Patterns and stages in Turkey’s response to Syrian mass refugee flow Initial stage: ad hoc policies (2011–2012) Critical juncture stage and transitions (2013–2015) The evolution of national refugee-asylum governance Protracted stage: regulative and refugee governance (from mid-2015 onwards) Syrian refugees’ access to rights and services Conclusion Notes References Chapter 5: Understanding the shifts in refugee governance and refugee politics of Turkey Analysis of Turkey’s initial policies and changes over time Reaching the critical juncture Growing security threats related to the Syrian war and their impact on refugee governance Impacts of security concerns on refugee governance From Turkey’s refugee issue to the EU’s refugee crisis Collaboration or bargains over migration control Understanding Turkey’s relations with international humanitarian organizations from the perspective of a meta-governance framework Notes References Part III: Lebanon Chapter 6: Lebanon’s responses to Syrian mass migration Political structure of Lebanon and pre-2011 relations with Syria ‘Policy paralysis’ of Lebanon Background of migration in Lebanon and national refugee regime Lebanon’s national refugee governance and its connections with the international refugee regime Patterns and stages in Lebanon’s response to Syrian mass refugee flow Inaction from mid-2011 to late 2014 Actors involved in refugee governance Regulative stage from late 2014 to mid-2018 Enforcement and consequences of regulatory restrictive policies Syrian refugees’ access to rights and services Notes References Chapter 7: Forces behind Lebanese governance patterns and refugee politics Motivations behind inaction of the first stage Shifting to regulative-restrictive policies Explaining the drivers of changes Notes References Part IV: Jordan Chapter 8: Jordanian national refugee governance and its responses to Syrian mass migration Political landscape of Jordan and relations with Syria Regional security concerns and the issue of Palestinians International political economy and Arab uprisings History of refugee migration to Jordan Palestinian refugees Iraqi refugees Main characteristics of Jordanian national refugee regime The legal framework of refugee governance and relations with the UNHCR Patterns and stages in Jordan’s meta-governance of Syrian mass refugee migration Initial stage: mainly ad hoc partially regulative refugee governance between 2012 and 2013 Critical juncture and protracted stage: restrictive and regulative policy pattern after the mid-2013 Syrian refugees’ access to rights and services Conclusion Notes References Chapter 9: Drivers of Jordanian refugee governance and refugee politics Relations with Syria in the pre-crisis period and the stance of Jordan during the Syrian crisis Reasons behind Jordan’s initial policies, critical juncture and shifts over time Jordan’s relations with humanitarian actors Framing in negotiations: high numbers, negative economic impact and ‘overburden’ of refugees Development agenda through response plans Jordan Compact Conclusion Notes References Part V: Comparison and conclusions Chapter 10: Comparison of refugee governance in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan Overview of dominant actors shaping refugee governance in three countries Testing of the multi-pattern and multi-stage model in cases Similarities and differences in the policy fields of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan Border controls Reception/protection Local integration Testing explanation typology Ideas for further research References Chapter 11: Conclusion State responses Policy paradoxes International refugee regime Tentative proposals for refugee governance Notes References Index