Refugee Flows Research Articles

Why do refugees live near to each other? A utility-based model for spatial segregation of Syrian refugees in Türkiye: 2016–2023 period

PurposeThe main purpose of this research is to understand and explain the clustering and/or segregation patterns of the rapid, massive and unexpected flow of Syrian refugees to Türkiye.Design/methodology/approachThe analytical framework we use consists of three parts. In the first stage, we created a two-group model in which utility is assumed to be a function of consumption and the proportion of the population belonging to the same group living in their neighborhood. We show that equilibrium utility can be reduced to a univariate function that is the population proportion of the group to which one belongs. Then, with the help of a Python-based simulation, we analyze the redistribution dynamics of the groups and clustering patterns. In the final stage, we compute the dissimilarity index to determine the degree of clustering.FindingsAlthough the dilution policy has been implemented, a relatively high spatial segregation of refugees still exists. The dissimilarity index we compute using the latest data shows that almost half of Syrians need to be displaced for a homogeneous geographical distribution.Research limitations/implicationsBy obtaining neighborhood-based housing data, it will be possible to conduct a more detailed analysis at the city level. This will improve policymakers' understanding of refugee policy at both local and national levels.Originality/valueIt is the first study in which a dissimilarity index is computed for Syrian refugees in Türkiye.

Coups and refugee flows in autocracies and democracies

ABSTRACT Much research stresses the impact of armed conflict on refugee flows. This article focuses on another form of political instability that has yet to be systematically examined: coups. It presents a typology of coups by considering (a) whether coup plotters succeed or not in seizing power, and (b) the type of regime after the coup. It identifies four types of coup attempts: (1) failed coups in autocracy, (2) failed coups in democracy, (3) autocratic coups, and (4) democratic coups. We argue that failed coups in autocracies and autocratic coups increase government repression and hinder economic performance, creating societal environments that trigger refugee flows. This contrasts with more stable environments following failed coups in democracies and democratic coups that are expected not to affect refugee flows. Quantitative analysis of all countries between 1980 and 2016 supports the theory, and qualitative analysis of varieties of coup attempts in Egypt, Spain, and Turkey illustrates the postulated theoretical mechanisms.

Migration problems of the Benelux countries in the context of joint European policy

The purpose of the article is to prove by specific examples the inability of the authorities of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, united into the Benelux community, to regulate the flows of immigrants and refugees to their countries; to identify the consequences of a liberal policy towards foreigners, in particular, difficulties in integrating them into the European society. Along with this, the issues of the crime rate growth, the discontent of the local population with the destabilization of the situation and other topics are discussed. The author concludes that the Benelux countries, despite their efforts, are still unable to develop a unified balanced policy towards immigrants and refugees. This is due to great differences both in government circles and in the civil society of these countries.

Climate change, conflict, and urban migration

The adverse effects of man-made climate change and protracted conflict intensify rural-to-urban migration in many developing countries. This article examines the impacts of climate and conflict migration on urban environments and on migrants themselves. To trace the distinctive pathways by which climate change and conflict drive migration as well as shared challenges for urban planning and services, we employ qualitative case studies of Jordan, Pakistan, and Honduras informed by interviews and secondary literature. These countries are chosen as they exemplify the compounding, cumulative impacts of climate change and conflict on urban expansion and the challenges in providing adequate public services in these contexts. Across all three cases, climate hazards threaten rural livelihoods and agricultural productivity, increasing rural to urban migration, while civil conflict and gang violence further induce urban migration, both internally and across borders. In Jordan, we assess the impacts of increasing water scarcity and conflict-driven refugee flows on infrastructure and public services. Pakistan’s experience highlights the impacts of rapid-onset natural disasters, severe water scarcity, and enduring refugee flows from Afghanistan on environmental quality and pollution within cities. In Honduras, we analyze how increasing droughts and hurricanes, combined with gang presence in cities, affect migrants in terms of increased violence and negative physical and mental health impacts. Together, these cases illuminate the need for context-specific proactive policy measures that address the independent and interrelated ways that climate change and conflict lead to migration and the subsequent profound impacts on urban development and human well-being.

State Sovereignty: Concept and Conceptions

AbstractThe terms “sovereignty” and “state” are used very loosely in scholarly literature. “State sovereignty” is central to many scholarly disciplines and controversial real case scenarios, including territorial disputes; pandemics; arms, drug and human trafficking; terrorism; and the flow of refugees. Unsurprisingly, when academics apply the term “state sovereignty” disagreements can be expected. This paper reviews a series of conceptions pertaining to “state sovereignty” and proposes a shift from the current unidimensional understanding to a multidimensional approach. This is because state sovereignty is an intricate concept that includes several pluralisms, such as agents and the roles they play in their interrelations (e.g. individuals, communities and states), contexts (i.e. domestic, regional and international), realms (e.g. factual, normative and axiological) and modes of existence (i.e. ideal, natural, cultural and metaphysical elements and features). Hence, this paper argues that different understandings on state sovereignty are not due to ontological discrepancies but relate to either epistemological choices because different scholars and scientific disciplines are interested in a particular pluralism pertaining to state sovereignty rather than the concept as a whole, or to axiological choices tightly linked to individuals, communities and/or states often ignored or undisclosed views and perceptions. By applying a multidimensional approach and taking into account two variables—time and space—the paper explains why the different conceptions on state sovereignty are connected with value judgments that still refer to the same concept applied to the object or subject of study (ontology) but from particular epistemological presuppositions often hidden, ignored or neglected.

Transnational Repression: International Cooperation in Silencing Dissent

Abstract Why do some states assist other countries to reach across national borders and repress their diaspora, while others do not? Transnational repression involves host countries (including democracies) working closely with origin states (typically autocracies) to transfer their citizens living abroad into their custody and silence dissent. We expect international cooperation on transnational repression to rely on a host country’s domestic rule of law (opportunity to repress) and economic ties with the origin country (leverage to cooperate). To measure international cooperation on transnational repression, we present new data containing 608 direct physical cases of transnational repression from 2014 to 2020 involving 160 unique country dyads (79 host countries and 31 origin countries). We test our hypotheses using a dataset of 33,615 directed dyad-years that accounts for refugee flows between pairs of countries and find empirical support for our theoretical argument. Autocracies are better able to elicit cooperation on human rights violations from states that have shared economic interests and a weak rule of law. Our findings provide one of the first quantitative accounts of foreign complicity in extraterritorial repression and have policy implications for civil society activists that seek to prevent governments from committing future human rights abuses against foreign nationals living abroad.

The Plight of Syrian Refugees in the United States: Between Indifference and Dehumanization

Forced or voluntary migration worldwide and the quest for a safer and better life has not always resulted from armed conflicts or any form of political, ethnic, or religious persecution. Natural disasters have often enticed waves of deprived people across sovereign national borders. The present study investigates the plight of Syrian refugees in the aftermath of the 2011 upheavals which shook the Arab World, not as much because it poses unprecedented humanitarian and political challenges, but principally because it laid bare the double standard policy pursued by certain Western governments scapegoating Arab/Muslim stocks as a lingering menace to their security. To reconfigure the boundaries of decent debate and break down taboos over such a controversial issue, the paper raises a number of questions with regard to the essence of humanitarian work and how, over the past few decades, it has been politicized by ruthless politicians and unscrupulous technocrats to determine the resettlement of displaced masses or the allocation of funds to international relief organizations based on national, religious, and even racial standards. It takes the United States as a case in point to show how, despite being the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees, it has resettled only a tiny fraction of such a group compared to poorer contiguous states. The paper posits, finally, to contribute survey-based argument to available literature which, to some degree, has not sufficiently explored the hypothetical connection between refugee flows and transnational terrorism to demonstrate, ultimately, that not every Arab/Muslim refugee is a terrorist-in-waiting.

The Merchant Networks of Afghan Sikhs: The Cold War, its Legacies and Beyond

This article documents the migration of Afghanistan’s Sikh communities to Asia and Europe during the Cold War and its aftermath. It analyses these migratory trajectories both in the context of conflict in Afghanistan and the refugee flows it created as well as in relation to the long-term role of Afghan Sikhs in transregional trade. The article argues that exploring Sikh migration from Afghanistan through the twin analytical lenses of trade networks and the Cold War helps to illuminate a more complex range of identities and experiences than allowed for by a singular focus on their status as either ‘refugees’ or migrants from ‘the Global South’.

The 2015 Refugee Crisis and Institutional Trust in European Countries

Exogenous events have the potential to affect citizens’ risk-perceptions, (in)security sentiments, electoral choices, policy preferences and institutional trust levels. It has been shown that migrant and refugee flows also affect citizens’ trust and policy preferences. The 2015 refugee crisis as it has come to be known, shook Europe’s cohesion and tested the existing immigration and asylum policies as well as acted as a further stimulus to populist/right wing Eurosceptic parties with an agenda of anti-immigrant restrictive policies. Expectedly, it has attracted considerable attention in the relevant literature. Building on existing studies that examine various aspects associated with the 2015 refugee crisis, the present paper examines its effect on institutional trust levels in Europe. Specifically, it focuses on trust towards the national government, the EU and the two state security services the police and the armed forces. To this effect, the study draws data from successive Eurobarometer surveys before and after the crisis. Employing segmented-type regression models as well as Oaxaca decomposition models it probes into the 2015 refugee crisis’ impact on the levels of institutional trust using over 400,000 responses to the relevant Eurobarometer questions. The results reported herein suggest the presence of “a rally around the flag effect”. Nonetheless, macroeconomic factors such as GDP growth and unemployment as well as differences in behavioural responses also explain a large part of the observed gap in trust before and after the 2015 refugee crisis.

The Causes and Consequences of Refugee Flows: A Contemporary Reanalysis

The world faces a forced displacement crisis. Tens of millions of individuals have been forced across international boundaries worldwide. Therefore, the causes and consequences of refugee flows are the subjects of significant social science inquiry. Unfortunately, the historical lack of reliable data on actual refugee flows, country-specific data reporting timelines, and more general pre-2000 data quality issues have significantly limited empirical inferences on these topics. We replicate 28 articles on these topics using data newly released after a multiyear collaboration with the United Nations on annual dyadic flows. We observe major inconsistencies between the newly released flow numbers and the stock-based flow estimates upon which decades of research are based; we also find widespread inappropriate treatment of missing historical values. When we replicate the existing literature using the newly introduced flow data, correcting the treatment of missing historical values, and temporally extending/restricting the study periods, we produce significantly different results.

Πρόσφυγες ή μετανάστες; Αναπαραστάσεις των προσφυγικών ροών από τους μελλοντικούς εκπαιδευτικούς

Flows of refugee populations into a country usually create a de facto religious, ethnic, linguistic or cultural diversity which eventually has its impact on the host country’s educational system. Objectively existing heterogeneity does not mean, however, that the host country population automatically adopts a positive attitude towards this change and that it endorses without reservations or reactions the official narrative of the value and usefulness of a multicultural society. The positive attitudes of political formations, scientific unions, intellectuals, artists and other influential authorities in the public sphere may contribute to the development of a climate of acceptance of the "other", but the course of the narrative of multiculturalism from its exponents to the wider social body should not be considered linear. Of particular interest are the perceptions of future teachers about the motives behind the refugee flows to the host country. This paper presents and discusses some of the results of an empirical study on a sample of 297 students of educational faculties / future teachers on the motivations of refugees to cross the borders. The central question this article attempts to answer is (a) whether the new generation of teachers sees behind the refugee flows individuals who move because they are in danger (refugees) or persons who attempt to improve their economic life conditions (migrants), and (b) whether this perception has an impact on the degree of endorsing multiculturalism on their part as a positive social model.

Rohingya Refugees: A Study of Indonesian Government Policies

The Rohingya refugee crisis is a complex and pressing humanitarian issue in the Southeast Asia region. Conflict in Myanmar has forced thousands of Rohingya to flee seeking protection in neighboring countries. This research aims to evaluate the Indonesian government's policy in handling the Rohingya refugee crisis and provide recommendations for future policy improvements. The research method used is a qualitative approach with descriptive and comparative analysis. The analysis results indicate that Indonesia's policy towards Rohingya refugee flows reflects a commitment to humanitarian principles and national security. However, evaluating the implemented policies is necessary to understand their effectiveness. The implications of the Rohingya refugee flow for Indonesia's national security include risks of regional and global instability as well as threats to the security of individuals and groups. Indonesia's strategies for preventing and mitigating the impact of Rohingya refugees involve strengthening border surveillance, regional cooperation, refugee status organization, and social integration. Recommendations from this research include improving coordination between agencies, enhancing government capacity in managing refugee crises, and increasing protection and assistance to Rohingya refugees. This research is expected to contribute to understanding Indonesia's government policies towards the Rohingya refugee crisis and provide recommendations to enhance policy effectiveness.

TURKISH REFUGEES IN BRAZIL AFTER THE 2016 TURKEY COUP ATTEMPT

Population geography is a subdiscipline of Geography devoted to the study of one of the aspects of geographic space, which is population flows. The flow of refugees is a topic of interest. In 2016, Turkey underwent a coup attempt which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and increased internal political tension. This study aimed to verify whether Turkey’s internal circumstances impacted the number of Turkish refugee requests in Brazil and if so, to describe these refugees’ general profile and their spatial distribution, without risking their safety. We used data provided by the International Migration Observatory, which is linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Justice. The analyses were performed using descriptive and geospatial statistics and showed a considerable increase in the number of Turkish refugees in Brazil from 2016, as well as their concentration in the richest state of the federation. We believe these results provide relevant information to improve the Brazilian system of recognition and reception of refugees.

‘Bastion of Italian-ness’: the nationalization of welfare and the changing meaning of rehabilitation in post-war Italy (1945–59)

ABSTRACT The article analyses social welfare programmes set up by the Italian state to manage and provide assistance to refugees coming first from Dalmatia, then from Istria and finally by the territories near Trieste, between the immediate post-war period and the late 1950s. It connects the literature on these refugee flows and the historiography of the Italian welfare state by providing new insights into how the recognition of minority rights deeply affected the organization of the social welfare system throughout the 1940s and the 1950s. The article focuses on the shifting meaning of the term ‘rehabilitation’, an outcome of post-war transnational circulations of ideas about the renewal of welfare. It identifies three chronological sections: the aftermath of the war, when social assistance to refugees was organized in Italy in the context of a project to renew the state and its relations with the individual and society; the period after the signing of the Luxembourg Peace Treaty, when in response to the emergency but also out of purely political considerations public authorities significantly changed the guidelines of the entire social welfare system’s development; and finally, the policies set up in the 1950s, which aimed not only at providing stable accommodation for refugees but also at other geopolitical, socio-cultural, social engineering and electoral objectives. Thus, this contribution not only explains how the construction of the welfare state in Italy has been shaped by the problem of refugees, but also shows another side of the same issue: the role of welfare provision in constructing social groups, which in this case took on a strong ethnic and political character.

US Humanitarian Intervention in Yemen from A Risk Society Perspective

This study focuses on Yemen, a country with a long history of external intervention. Based on the principle of humanitarian intervention in the context of the risk society, it analyses the effects of the interventions received by Yemen from the United States of America, identifies the risks involved, and considers the scope of the risks. External intervention has led to the rise of multiple armed forces on the ground in Yemen, the worsening of the humanitarian crisis, dependence on international assistance, and the erosion of sovereignty. The international community is also threatened. The spread of terrorism, the obstruction of maritime transport, the flow of refugees, famine, and other problems cannot be ignored. This article takes the situation in Yemen as a visualization of the intervention risks. It explores the practical applications from four dimensions: humanity, neutrality, sustainability, and prevention. It makes sound recommendations for improving the international community's understanding of humanitarian intervention and developing sound humanitarian principles. It helps make humanitarian interventions more sustainable in addition to their emergency function.

Action Research: A Participatory Approach to Improve Measures of Labour Market Integration of Refugees

This paper illustrates the benefits action research adds to successfully co-creating measures for the labour market integration of refugees. Germany has become one of the most popular immigration countries in the world. In addition to current refugee flows from Ukraine, migration from third countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey again increased in 2022. Compared to Ukrainians, who are subject to a special measure granting immediate and temporary protection in the event ofamass influx and direct access to the labour market, thirdcountry representatives still have a limited path to the world of work. Following these events, this paper is motivated by the early research on developing measures for the labour market integration of refugees in Germany. It was conducted shortly after the so-called European “refugee crises” during 2015–2017. Due to increasing refugee movements, the findings are highly topical and thus make a renewed contribution to integration policies and action research as a participatory approach.

Does the welfare entitlement of refugees reduce openness to refugee migration? A survey experiment on the welfare entitlement of Ukrainian refugees in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT This article uses an original survey experiment to assess whether the social and employment rights available to refugees affects the openness of citizens in receiving countries to greater refugee flows. Some authors have argued that more extensive rights for immigrants make citizens more reluctant towards immigration flows. We test this argument in the context of the reception of Ukrainian refugees in the United Kingdom. Our results show that exposing individuals to information on the welfare entitlements of refugees does have a small negative effect (about −0.53 on average on a 0–10 scale) on their openness to greater refugee flows. Meanwhile, exposing individuals to information on the ability of refugees to work and possibly contribute to the economy has no discernible positive effect on openness to refugee flows. The impact of the treatments is strongly conditioned by pre-existing views on immigration: the negative effect of information on welfare entitlement is more than three times larger among respondents who held already negative views of immigration.

South‐south refugee movements: Do pull factors play a role?

AbstractStudies analyzing the pattern of international refugee flows have so far focussed on movements to OECD destinations, even though the vast majority of refugees live in non‐OECD countries. Employing a standard gravity model of international migration, we fill this research gap by investigating the impact of destination country characteristics on south‐south refugee movements over the period 2004–2019. Our findings suggest that refugees tend to move to safe neighboring countries but also positively respond to local pull factors such as relatively high per‐capita income levels and the availability of education and health services when choosing their country of destination. Donors have the ability to affect the direction of south‐south refugee movements by investing in the social infrastructure of potential destination countries.

The cross-border effects of the Ukrainian refugees’ crisis. Evidence from the Romanian side

The issue of refugees pertains to the permanent elements of historical reflection on the mass movement of people or the phenomenon of migration. The military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine not only ignited a hot spot on the conflict map of Europe, but also triggered a cascade of events difficult to anticipate. A direct result of the conflict has been the mass exodus of Ukrainians and a promise of temporary protection by the European Union to those fleeing the conflict. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), on August 17, 2023, over 4.2 million Ukrainians crossed into Romania at the crossing points between Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The Ukrainian crisis offers the opportunity to take a closer look at the governments themselves. The Ukrainian citizens who remained in Romania received help both from the Romanian Government, and from the civil society (i.e., various NGOs, civilians, volunteers); from the first days of the invasion of Ukraine, Romanian society reacted swiftly. The study aims to emphasize the great importance of raising awareness and building solidarity and support in the receiving country in order to counterbalance, alleviate and eliminate the effects of the Ukrainian refugees’ crisis with respect to three main aspects: (1) the reloaded in situ effects, that is, the leading role of existing Romanian and, respectively, Ukrainian ethnic communities on both sides of the border in the prompt organization of humanitarian support for Ukrainian refugees; (2) the repetitive effects on the dynamics, such as the refugee flows and their territorial and time dynamic; (3) the long-term effects, i.e., the need to integrate the refugees in different fields of daily life.

Migration in Modern Serbia – Managing and Mediating Refugee Flows

This study outlines the socio-historical context of the movement of populations in a geographical area that roughly corresponds to contemporary Serbia, examining the migration flows in this area since the 19th century. It examines data on the migration management that Serbia undertook during the migrant and refugee crisis of 2015 and the events that followed. This analysis revealed an amalgam of the continuity and discontinuity of migration flows in Serbian society. Serbia has a relatively long history of external migration driven by economic and political circumstances, during which these two groups of drivers trade places based on their dominance. However, a new phenomenon has transformed the entire Serbian territory into a transit zone for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia attempting to reach the EU. Further, the study demonstrates how Serbian institutions manage these processes by providing various statistical data and commentary on these data.