Tag Archives: Syria

Middle East and North Africa, Refugees, Syrian refugee crisis

UAE Should Honor Its Commitment to Resettle Syrian Refugees

On June 18, the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made a surprise announcement granting nationals of countries suffering from war and disasters a one-year residence visa. Although an important gesture to relieve suffering and provide temporary shelter, Abu Dhabi is not following through on a much more important and sustainable solution to these problems: the permanent resettlement of Syrian refugees from Lebanon, Jordan or other hosting countries to the UAE.

Read full blog in Muftah Magazine.

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European Union, Middle East and North Africa, Refugees, Syrian refugee crisis, Turkey

Did the EU-Turkey Refugee Deal Turn Out To Be a Band Aid?

In early March 2016, after months of negotiations, the EU’s 28 heads of states reached an agreement with the Turkish government to slow the refugee influx into Europe. The so-called 1:1 plan — for each undocumented migrant Turkey takes back from Greece, the EU would take one refugee from Turkey — went into effect on March 20, 2016. Under the terms of the deal, the EU would give Turkey six billion euros ($6.7 billion) to support hosting refugees and revisit its stalled attempt to join the EU.

Read full blog at Muftah.

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Lebanon, Middle East and North Africa

Lebanon’s prime minister puts resignation on hold

BEIRUT — Prime minister Saad Hariri returned to Lebanon today after announcing his resignation from Riyadh more than two weeks ago. To the surprise of many he suspended his resignation and called for national dialogue. My analysis for Deutsche Welle News.

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Blog, Lebanon, Middle East and North Africa, Migration, Refugees, Syrian refugee crisis

Migrant population in Middle East more than doubles

BEIRUT — The number of migrants in the Middle East has more than doubled since 2005, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center.

Migrant workers, asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced persons increased from around 25 million in 2005 to 54 million in 2015. This 120% increase is much higher than in North America and Europe (both around 20%) over the same period despite the arrival of 1.3 million asylum seekers in Europe last year, of whom many were from the Middle East. Forced and voluntary migration in the Middle East also grew at a faster pace than  in Africa (90% increase), the Asia-Pacific (26%), and Latin America and the Caribbean (77%).

The share of migrants of the region’s population grew from 7% in 2005 to approximately 13% in 2015. In other words, one-in-ten people currently living the Middle East is either an international migrant or displaced. The Pew Research Center based its analysis on data from United Nations agencies.

This growth of migration in the Middle East is mainly caused by two factors: conflict and economic opportunity.

About half of the Middle East's 23 million displaced migrants lived in Syria or Iraq in 2015Armed conflict in Syria, Iraq and Yemen has displaced millions. This forced displacement accounts for the majority (60%) of the growth of the migrant population. The aftermath of the invasion of Iraq and subsequent civil war, the war in Syria since 2011, the rise of Daesh and the various conflicts in Yemen since the Arab Uprising had (internally) displaced 23 people by the end of 2015, about half of them living in Syria or Iraq, followed by Jordan, Yemen, Turkey and Lebanon.

About six-in-ten of the Middle East's non-displaced international migrant lived in Saudi Arabia and UAE in 2015

Economic opportunity has attracted millions of migrant workers — mostly from countries outside the region — particularly to the oil-rich Gulf States: Saudi Arabia (10.2 million), United Arab Emirates (8 million), Kuwait (2.9 million) and Oman (1.8 million). But also Israel and Lebanon continue to attract migrants.

The figures from the Pew Research Center show how war and armed conflict have wreaked havoc on the region: the portion of migrants living in the Middle East that were not displaced fell from 78% to 57% in the past decade.

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European Union, Middle East and North Africa, Refugees, Syrian refugee crisis, Turkey

5 reasons the EU-Turkey deal won’t end the Syrian refugee crisis

After months of negotiations, the 28 European Union leaders and the Turkish government last weekend reached an agreement to slow the refugee influx from Turkey. In exchange for taking back Syrian refugees who crossed to Europe illegally, the EU will accept refugees from Turkey, along with 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) and a renewed prospect for Turkey to join the EU.

Full article published in Dallas Morning News on 23 March 2016.

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Lebanon, Middle East and North Africa, Refugees, Syrian refugee crisis

Nearly 90 per cent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon have been trapped in a vicious cycle of crippling debt

With winter approaching and no end in sight of the civil war, Syrian refugees in Lebanon are running out of time and money.

Nearly 90 per cent of Lebanon’s over one million Syrian refugees are today trapped in a vicious cycle of debt, according to the findings of a recent assessment by UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP, the World Food Program.

Full article published in the National Post on 21 November 2015.

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Middle East and North Africa, Refugees, Syrian refugee crisis

Are Syria’s wealthy neighbours doing enough? Gulf states urged to accept more refugees

As the Syrian refugee crisis escalates, some eastern European countries — notably Hungary — are being cast as villains for turning their backs on desperate men, women and children with nowhere else to go.

But the spotlight is also turning to another group of countries that critics accuse of failing to pull their weight.

Full article published in the National Post on 26 October 2015.

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