The Syrian Refugee Crisis: How Democracies and Autocracies Perpetrated Mass Displacement

The manuscript uses a variety of secondary sources, survey, ethnographic, and interview data to study smuggled migrants and displacement in the Arab region. The author conducted fieldwork in Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, and Germany, interviewing 180 smuggled migrants and 75 government, NGO, and INGO respondents. The study focuses on the Balkan Route, a major smuggling route from the Middle East into West Europe.

Format: Hardback
Length: 174 pages
Publication date: 21 October 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The manuscript is a comprehensive study that draws on a wide range of secondary sources from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and existing scholarship. However, it goes beyond these sources by incorporating survey, ethnographic, and interview data gathered during a multi-year research project conducted by the author under the auspices of the Boston Consortium for Arab Region Studies (BCARS). This project involved extensive fieldwork, which took the author to thirty-five refugee sites, including formal and informal camps and urban neighborhoods, across Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, and Germany. During this time, the author conducted 180 in-depth interviews with smuggled migrants, as well as expert interviews with 75 government, non-governmental organization (NGO), and international non-governmental organization (INGO) respondents.

In addition to these primary data sources, the manuscript also analyzes ethnographic data from rarely-studied sites along major smuggling routes and displacement centers on the so-called Balkan Route. This route spans from the Middle East into West Europe, passing through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Germany. By examining these ethnographic data, the manuscript sheds light on the experiences and perspectives of migrants who undertake these perilous journeys, as well as the challenges and complexities they face during their travels.

The manuscript is organized into five chapters, each of which explores a different aspect of the study. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the research project and the methodology employed. Chapter 2 explores the political and economic factors that contribute to refugee migration in the region, including the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Chapter 3 examines the social and cultural dynamics of refugee communities, including their experiences of discrimination, marginalization, and resilience. Chapter 4 analyzes the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern refugee migration, including the policies and practices of host countries and international organizations. Chapter 5 concludes by discussing the implications of the study for policy and practice, and makes recommendations for improving the response to refugee crises in the region.

Overall, this manuscript is a valuable contribution to the field of refugee studies, providing a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the challenges and complexities faced by migrants on the Balkan Route and beyond. It is a testament to the author's dedication and expertise in the field, and will be of interest to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners alike.

Weight: 500g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032056791