Displacement in the Middle East Compared to the Treatment of Ukrainian Refugees

Displacement has long been one of the most prevalent issues in the Middle East. Recent examples include the refugee crises in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Palestine. Many refugees from these crises have fled to countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. There is also a significant number of internally displaced people remaining in their home countries. Reception of externally displaced people has become less welcoming as the conflicts have continued, with many countries hosting refugees calling for their repatriation. This more hostile reception can be directly contrasted with those displaced by the current war in Ukraine, who face vastly different treatment from the countries taking them in.

Displacement can be either internal or external and simultaneous in crises like those in Syria and Ukraine. Currently, Syria has more internally displaced citizens than internationally displaced. While displacement and forced migration in the Middle East most directly result from conflict, there are a considerable number of other factors worsening or prolonging these humanitarian crises. The climate crisis is a significant contributing factor exacerbating refugees' hardships. Food scarcity, flooding, and disease outbreaks are just some of the consequences of the worsening climate crisis, which those living in refugee camps experience more harshly and directly. A third of Syria's internally displaced people’s camps have flooded within the past year, demonstrating how poorly planned and maintained areas housing displaced people suffer severe repercussions from climate change. The effects of climate change also place more stress on economic and political systems already ill-equipped to deal with them, leading to further conflict and issues like gender-based violence.

Humanitarian and development efforts attempt to manage situations like these and mitigate the damage done to those who face displacement. However, the humanitarian system has its shortcomings. As the war in Ukraine has continued to worsen, it has taken the foreground in terms of humanitarian attention and media coverage. However, because there are finite amounts of aid-related funds and resources, other crises, like those occurring in Syria and Yemen, receive less than they once did. The displacement of millions of Ukrainians stresses the resources of the countries taking them in and those of the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping them. For example, the displaced population in Syria expects a harsh winter due to limited fuel for heating, economic inflation, and increased violence. Humanitarian planning for rough winters begins over the summer and is still inadequate to provide gas and oil, distribute winter gear, and repair shelters. 

Another drawback of humanitarianism is over-reliance on aid. Providing help to displaced people is not often sustainable. The current refugee crises in the Middle East are further evidence since the reallocation of aid to Ukrainian refugees has made camps in countries like Syria and Iraq significantly more strained. Once international agencies withdraw or allocate their aid elsewhere, the displaced populations struggle without the skills and resources needed to support themselves. The condition of many Palestinian refugees exemplifies this, as they have pushed for local community-led solutions rather than international aid because of concerns related to sustainability and conflicting priorities. When international aid agencies withdraw from areas experiencing humanitarian crises, local organizations and non-profits are often unable to stay open without that assistance.

Political and humanitarian responses to the war in Ukraine have demonstrated a double standard compared to the treatment of refugee crises across the Middle East. Ukrainian refugees living in Europe receive access to health and education services and a right to work. Contrasting this welcome reception, those same European countries actively push for the repatriation of refugees from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries. In the case of Syria, although these refugees might wish to return home to escape the discrimination and xenophobia prevalent in many European host countries, premature repatriation can be dangerous for these displaced people and cause more stress for the already turbulent Syrian state. There is a double standard in European countries that are more than willing to accept refugees from Ukraine while actively attempting to expel refugees from Syria. 

A poignant course of action related to the reception of and aid for Middle Eastern refugees would be for European host countries to break down that double standard and stop pushing for premature repatriation to treat Syrian refugees with the same acceptance as Ukrainian refugees. The assistance should become more sustainable in adjusting the humanitarian aid allocated toward forcibly displaced Middle Eastern populations. Distributing resources like food and clothing is suitable for the short term. Still, assistance should go beyond that so that forcibly displaced people can gain skills, find work, and accessible transportation. There should be multilateral cooperation between countries in both the Global North and Global South to address the climate crisis and to mitigate the factors contributing to displacing people. Efforts to increase crop yields, maintain open trade, and keep prices low can help reduce the repercussions that refugees feel from the climate crisis since climate change is one of the significant factors contributing to displacement.

Author: Brianna Zimmermann

Managing Editor: Sebastian Reyes

Web Editor: Riley Graham