Refugee governance in the Middle East: insights from Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan

This chapter focuses on common patterns in refugee governance in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, which currently together host millions of Syrian refugees and historically had been destinations for several refugee groups. The chapter aims to provide an analysis of policy-making by drawing on policy and governance studies as well as regional/national historical context influencing refugee responses. It underlines the relevance of three interrelated common patterns, categorised as (1) guesthood/hospitality approach and ‘strategic temporality’, (2) instrumentalisation of refugees for financial and political ends, and (3) security concerns leading to differentiated practices in approaching refugees. The chapter shows how the humanitarian responses in these countries are shaped around hospitality approaches based on cultural intimacy and religious affinity. The guesthood perspective led to an ambiguous and temporal governance form, called as strategic temporality which provides flexibility to the hosting countries in handling the massive refugee groups during protracted stays. Also, historically rooted security concerns of each country reflect itself in the selectivity of admission and subsequent processes in granting permanent rights. Such a policy direction also facilitated instrumentalisation of refugees for political gains or raising financial funding. With these characteristics, refugee governance in the Middle East is quite a complex dynamic process, interlinked with domestic and international politics.