The Socioeconomic Repercussions of Terrorism in Refugee Populations: Turkey and Jordan as Case Study

[Aepsilons]

The Socioeconomic Repercussions of Terrorism in Refugee Populations: Turkey and Jordan as Case Study






By: @Nihonjin1051, Ph.Dc, M.S.
​

The Factor of Displacement

Displacement is an example of emergencies in a humanitarian level. Displacement is a shocking and traumatic event which has repercussion that leads to either injury and or death. The challenges that come to mind for individuals include adequate housing, access to health service, food insecurity, livelihood loss, economic and sexual exploitation. Displacement takes many forms in the Middle East and the Arab world. Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, people are on the move. The region has the largest percentage of migrants in the world. While some of these migrants halve left home in search of economic opportunities in neighboring countries, increasing numbers are taking refuge from natural disasters, ongoing conflict, persecution and political instability either across international borders as refugees or as internally displaced persons (IDPs) within their own country.

The region has significant experience with complex emergencies with 15 of 22 Arab League member states, comprising some 85% of the region’s population, suffering protracted conflict situations that have taken the form in chronic Terrorism as seen in Iraq, Syria. The result of which has been the unprecedented migration of citizens from Syria and Iraq to the border camps in Jordan and Turkey in seek of refuge from the devastation seen in the Syrian Civil War, and the onslaught of organized terrorist groups such as ISIS, ISIL.

Host countries in the Middle East take an ambivalent stance towards asylum seekers. Many nations host large displaced populations but few grant them status as refugees. Vulnerable populations living in marginalized situations in their home communities are in turn frequently displaced to other similarly marginalized locations. In these cases, a trade-off is made between physical security and living conditions. Such is the case with IDPs from civil conflicts in Syria and Iraq, many of whom have settled in Spartan camps within Turkey, Jordan. Such trade offs result in the exchange of one set of adverse health conditions for another. With respect to those displaced across borders, the vast majority flee to neighboring countries and remain within their region of origin.

An increase in morbidity and or mortality should be observed in displaced populations and that dislocation, isolation and lack of the access to the health services would negatively impact the health of displaced people. This, however, is complicated by pre-existing , uneven distributions of health services, arable land and clean water both within individual countries and throughout the Middle East. Such disparities make populations vulnerable to displacement in their first place, and more so quantified in cases of civil conflict and in terrorism. Given there are over 2 million refugees in Turkey from Syria, Iraq, as well as over 800,000 refugees in Jordan, and the fact that these displaced persons had limited access to health care prior to their displacement in their native countries, the risk of communicable diseases is greatly quantified.

Such is the case with displaced Iraqis, Palestinians, Syrians. In the case of Iraqis, the data from UNHCR clinics revealed that 9 out of the top 10 chronic diagnoses and 6 of the top 10 acute diagnoses are for non-communicable diseases, with the largest number of patient visits related to underlying hypertension. In addition, surveys conducted of displaced Iraqis in Jordan also revealed similar rates of chronic illness among displaced Iraqis when compared to host country populations. The illnesses these displaced people bring with them are an important element in the overall burden of disease in displaced populations in the Middle East. Other issues that are of concern also include the threat of Tuberculosis transmission. Just as there is a wide spectrum of socio-economic conditions in the Middle East, there are also wide disparities in the health status and conditions of displaced populations in different parts of the region.

The Strain on the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Turkey

Jordan has taken in Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian uprising. Deraa, where protesters first clashed with the forces of President Bashar al-Assad in March of 2011, is barely 6 kilometers from the border and shares familial and tribal links with the neighboring Jordanian Houran region. The first refugees were mostly people from Deraa seeking refuge with extended family, but as the violence spread Syrians from further afield – Damascus, Homs and Hama – headed south. Most arrive with shocking stories of Assad’s brutality. Jordan is struggling to cope. Already a poor country relying heavily on money from the US and Gulf to balance its budget, Jordan is worried about the economic impact of the refugee crisis. Despite the strain on Jordan’s economy, the Jordanian people remain sympathetic to the Syrian refugees. There are growing concerns amongst Jordanians that the economic problems that have manifested could mutate into political tension. The competition for resources such as jobs, education and health services are a reality that may test the Jordanian resolve and welcome.

While Turkey has avoided the economic difficulties faced by Jordan, social and political costs are emerging. Worryingly, Syria’s sectarian problems could be exported. In Syria members of Assad’s Alawai sect, who have backed the president, are blamed by many from the Sunni Muslim majority for the regime’s violence. However, Antakya, the Turkish city in Hatay where many Syrian refugees have fled, is dominated by Turkish Alawis who are sympathetic to Assad and their co-religionists in Syria. There is little sympathy for refugees. The locals refer to the refugees as “terrorists”. Already the Kurdish politics in Turkey have been affected, with the secessionist Kurdish militants the PKK emboldened both by renewed support from Assad’s government and by recent gains by Syria’s Kurds. The Syrian crisis is hurting Turkey far more than expected and, as more refugees flood over the border, new solutions are being sought to take the pressure off Turkey’s resources and calm its own population. Ankara is proposing for an establishment of a safe zone inside Syria itself that would house the refugees. As the situation becomes ever dire, and as the number of refugees continue to rise, it will test the will and capabilities of the Governments of both Turkey and Jordan. Is a solution on the horizon?



@Nihonjin1051 is a Ph.D. candidate in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, he is a college lecturer in New Jersey, United States. Topics of interest include corporate culture and personnel dynamic, organizational development, Middle Eastern , South Asian and East Asian political dynamics, cross-cultural qualitative analysis, and Quantitative Statistics.



===========================================================================

WORKS CITED

​

Amarasinha, S. D., & Isenbecker, M. M. (1996). Terrorism and the Right to Asylum under the 1951

Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees - A Contradiction in Terms or Do

Opposites Attract?. Nordic Journal Of International Law, 65(2), 223-240. doi:10.1163/15718109620294906​

Bennett, R., Brodine, S., Waalen, J., Moser, K., & Rodwell, T. (2014). Prevalence and treatment of latent

tuberculosis infection among newly arrived refugees in San Diego County, January 2010-October 2012.

American Journal Of Public Health, 104(4), e95-e102. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301637​

Mowafi, H. (2011). Conflict, displacement and health in the Middle East. Global Public Health, 6(5), 472-487.

doi:10.1080/17441692.2011.570358​

Phillips, C. C. (2012). Middle East The impact of Syrian refugees on Turkey and Jordan. World Today -London-

Oxford University Press Then The Royal Institute Of International Affairs-, 68(6), 34-39. ​

Refugees as peacemakers in the Middle East. (1967). Christian Century, 84(32)





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[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Great article

 

[Aepsilons]

Great article

Thanks, please provide any feedback, questions, Sir.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Your article is great , however it does shows only cowards run for cover (Women children are not in that figure) - but even women should stand up and make themselves count

My feed back is instead of running they should stand and make a stand , and move into Israel
5 Million give them a appropriate tool (from Russia), wipe out Israel in one wave, did I just said wipe out I mean negotiate a peace treaty as they have done for past 60 years, they are due for a treaty now

Running is not an option

New civilizations need people who STAND and make themselves count , and not who run around

That is the rule of jungle only the strong survive, and we live in a Jungle

Unfortunately even in Pakistan there are plenty of folk who rather run then face the fear

Because if you really think if these 4-5 Million people running around instead had courage to really take their freedom , they could have taken it however they choose to turn their backs and head for cover.

5-6 Million people could become 4-5 Million Soldiers

Then who is going to stop the Tsunami that comes after

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

The Socioeconomic Repercussions of Terrorism in Refugee Populations: Turkey and Jordan as Case Study






By: @Nihonjin1051, Ph.Dc, M.S.
​

The Factor of Displacement

Displacement is an example of emergencies in a humanitarian level. Displacement is a shocking and traumatic event which has repercussion that leads to either injury and or death. The challenges that come to mind for individuals include adequate housing, access to health service, food insecurity, livelihood loss, economic and sexual exploitation. Displacement takes many forms in the Middle East and the Arab world. Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, people are on the move. The region has the largest percentage of migrants in the world. While some of these migrants halve left home in search of economic opportunities in neighboring countries, increasing numbers are taking refuge from natural disasters, ongoing conflict, persecution and political instability either across international borders as refugees or as internally displaced persons (IDPs) within their own country.

The region has significant experience with complex emergencies with 15 of 22 Arab League member states, comprising some 85% of the region’s population, suffering protracted conflict situations that have taken the form in chronic Terrorism as seen in Iraq, Syria. The result of which has been the unprecedented migration of citizens from Syria and Iraq to the border camps in Jordan and Turkey in seek of refuge from the devastation seen in the Syrian Civil War, and the onslaught of organized terrorist groups such as ISIS, ISIL.

Host countries in the Middle East take an ambivalent stance towards asylum seekers. Many nations host large displaced populations but few grant them status as refugees. Vulnerable populations living in marginalized situations in their home communities are in turn frequently displaced to other similarly marginalized locations. In these cases, a trade-off is made between physical security and living conditions. Such is the case with IDPs from civil conflicts in Syria and Iraq, many of whom have settled in Spartan camps within Turkey, Jordan. Such trade offs result in the exchange of one set of adverse health conditions for another. With respect to those displaced across borders, the vast majority flee to neighboring countries and remain within their region of origin.

An increase in morbidity and or mortality should be observed in displaced populations and that dislocation, isolation and lack of the access to the health services would negatively impact the health of displaced people. This, however, is complicated by pre-existing , uneven distributions of health services, arable land and clean water both within individual countries and throughout the Middle East. Such disparities make populations vulnerable to displacement in their first place, and more so quantified in cases of civil conflict and in terrorism. Given there are over 2 million refugees in Turkey from Syria, Iraq, as well as over 800,000 refugees in Jordan, and the fact that these displaced persons had limited access to health care prior to their displacement in their native countries, the risk of communicable diseases is greatly quantified.

Such is the case with displaced Iraqis, Palestinians, Syrians. In the case of Iraqis, the data from UNHCR clinics revealed that 9 out of the top 10 chronic diagnoses and 6 of the top 10 acute diagnoses are for non-communicable diseases, with the largest number of patient visits related to underlying hypertension. In addition, surveys conducted of displaced Iraqis in Jordan also revealed similar rates of chronic illness among displaced Iraqis when compared to host country populations. The illnesses these displaced people bring with them are an important element in the overall burden of disease in displaced populations in the Middle East. Other issues that are of concern also include the threat of Tuberculosis transmission. Just as there is a wide spectrum of socio-economic conditions in the Middle East, there are also wide disparities in the health status and conditions of displaced populations in different parts of the region.

The Strain on the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Turkey

Jordan has taken in Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian uprising. Deraa, where protesters first clashed with the forces of President Bashar al-Assad in March of 2011, is barely 6 kilometers from the border and shares familial and tribal links with the neighboring Jordanian Houran region. The first refugees were mostly people from Deraa seeking refuge with extended family, but as the violence spread Syrians from further afield – Damascus, Homs and Hama – headed south. Most arrive with shocking stories of Assad’s brutality. Jordan is struggling to cope. Already a poor country relying heavily on money from the US and Gulf to balance its budget, Jordan is worried about the economic impact of the refugee crisis. Despite the strain on Jordan’s economy, the Jordanian people remain sympathetic to the Syrian refugees. There are growing concerns amongst Jordanians that the economic problems that have manifested could mutate into political tension. The competition for resources such as jobs, education and health services are a reality that may test the Jordanian resolve and welcome.

While Turkey has avoided the economic difficulties faced by Jordan, social and political costs are emerging. Worryingly, Syria’s sectarian problems could be exported. In Syria members of Assad’s Alawai sect, who have backed the president, are blamed by many from the Sunni Muslim majority for the regime’s violence. However, Antakya, the Turkish city in Hatay where many Syrian refugees have fled, is dominated by Turkish Alawis who are sympathetic to Assad and their co-religionists in Syria. There is little sympathy for refugees. The locals refer to the refugees as “terrorists”. Already the Kurdish politics in Turkey have been affected, with the secessionist Kurdish militants the PKK emboldened both by renewed support from Assad’s government and by recent gains by Syria’s Kurds. The Syrian crisis is hurting Turkey far more than expected and, as more refugees flood over the border, new solutions are being sought to take the pressure off Turkey’s resources and calm its own population. Ankara is proposing for an establishment of a safe zone inside Syria itself that would house the refugees. As the situation becomes ever dire, and as the number of refugees continue to rise, it will test the will and capabilities of the Governments of both Turkey and Jordan. Is a solution on the horizon?



@Nihonjin1051 is a Ph.D. candidate in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, he is a college lecturer in New Jersey, United States. Topics of interest include corporate culture and personnel dynamic, organizational development, Middle Eastern , South Asian and East Asian political dynamics, cross-cultural qualitative analysis, and Quantitative Statistics.



===========================================================================

WORKS CITED

​

Amarasinha, S. D., & Isenbecker, M. M. (1996). Terrorism and the Right to Asylum under the 1951

Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees - A Contradiction in Terms or Do

Opposites Attract?. Nordic Journal Of International Law, 65(2), 223-240. doi:10.1163/15718109620294906​

Bennett, R., Brodine, S., Waalen, J., Moser, K., & Rodwell, T. (2014). Prevalence and treatment of latent

tuberculosis infection among newly arrived refugees in San Diego County, January 2010-October 2012.

American Journal Of Public Health, 104(4), e95-e102. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301637​

Mowafi, H. (2011). Conflict, displacement and health in the Middle East. Global Public Health, 6(5), 472-487.

doi:10.1080/17441692.2011.570358​

Phillips, C. C. (2012). Middle East The impact of Syrian refugees on Turkey and Jordan. World Today -London-

Oxford University Press Then The Royal Institute Of International Affairs-, 68(6), 34-39. ​

Refugees as peacemakers in the Middle East. (1967). Christian Century, 84(32)

A well-thought out and well-researched piece. The following questions are not specifically directed at you, rather they are open to anyone who cares to address them:

It would be interesting to compare and contrast this refugee crisis with its antecedent, the Palestinian Arab refugee crisis, and track the development of this one compared to the previous one. Of course, Palestinian Arab refugees were also denied recognition and integration, and later turned to terrorizing their hosts in Jordan and Lebanon--to this day, they remain un-integrated, living in refugee camps in most of their Arab host countries.

Do initial evaluations show this new wave of refugees being treated the same way, or better? You already alluded to the tensions that this might cause in the future; it will be interesting to monitor and see if it creates political tensions followed by terrorism, as it did with the Palestinian Arabs.

Indeed, with the rise of ISIS, this problem is set to grow, and will not be solved soon. What other solutions are viable? Can outside actors seize sections of Syria and/or Iraq to set up safe zones within those countries, and thus prevent spillover into the neighboring countries?

Finally, one wonders what happens to national identity in the case of refugees from a state that effectively no longer exists. Are there precedents for this?

Great opportunity for discussion. Thanks for this piece, @Nihonjin1051 .

 

[Falcon29]

@Nihonjin1051

I may have misunderstood your article but are you suggesting Turkey is on the brink of major civil strife?

 

[Aepsilons]

@Nihonjin1051

I may have misunderstood your article but are you suggesting Turkey is on the brink of major civil strife?

The current unrest found near the border areas , with many of the refugees coming into Turkey having some combat experience and the religious differences between refugees and local Turkish residents are taking a toll in communities such as Antakya. This can be understood considering the cross border scrimmage that has taken place between Turkey and Syrian Government Forces. Turkey has almost 3 million refugees from Syria and Iraq seeking refuge and shelter , many of whom come from a plethora of backgrounds : Syrian Christian Coptics, Syrian Shia, Syrian Sunni, Iraqi Yezidi, Iraqi Christians. Given the resources needed to address these numbers, there is a drain and competition on health, security, services. My research finds that Turkey and Jordan, both of whom are hosts for refugee camps require , and urgently at that, international support -- economic as well as medical aid -- to meet the needs of the displaced people. We have to take into consideration the medical, psychological health of refugees from varied age groups. You and I know that as the war rages on in Iraq and Syria -- considering the ISIS threat, the number of refugees will only rise. Resources need to be acquired, God Forbid, the demand becomes too dire. I have no doubt of Turkey's ability to withstand more refugees coming into its border, but I am doubtful for Jordan, and Jordan's survival is essential.

I welcome the opinion and input of our Turkish members.

 

[Falcon29]

The current unrest found near the border areas , with many of the refugees coming into Turkey having some combat experience and the religious differences between refugees and local Turkish residents are taking a toll in communities such as Antakya. This can be understood considering the cross border scrimmage that has taken place between Turkey and Syrian Government Forces. Turkey has almost 3 million refugees from Syria and Iraq seeking refuge and shelter , many of whom come from a plethora of backgrounds : Syrian Christian Coptics, Syrian Shia, Syrian Sunni, Iraqi Yezidi, Iraqi Christians. Given the resources needed to address these numbers, there is a drain and competition on health, security, services. My research finds that Turkey and Jordan, both of whom are hosts for refugee camps require , and urgently at that, international support -- economic as well as medical aid -- to meet the needs of the displaced people. We have to take into consideration the medical, psychological health of refugees from varied age groups. You and I know that as the war rages on in Iraq and Syria -- considering the ISIS threat, the number of refugees will only rise. Resources need to be acquired, God Forbid, the demand becomes too dire. I have no doubt of Turkey's ability to withstand more refugees coming into its border, but I am doubtful for Jordan, and Jordan's survival is essential.

I welcome the opinion and input of our Turkish members.

Now that was easier for me to comprehend. I wholeheartedly agree, well written editorial.

 

[Europa]

this synopsis is good. right now, i am a little bit drunk, so i will talk less. displacement is omnipresent. it often works hand in hand with ethnic cleansing. afghanistani hazara people's case still remains the burning example. many of them now live in pakistan, as far as i know, and other countries. there are various factors which include civil wars, violent insurgency and even change in the mode of production e.g., industrialization replacing the agrarian one. there is no practical solution actually, all the academic discourses are for theatrical academicians only and for publishing papers, books, presenting seminars, getting degrees and above all self-complacency. people will continue to be displaced as long as conflicts are there and conflicts will be there as long as issues are there. un can address this issue but again, nation states won't compromise their sovereignty. remedy in the form of rehabilitation can be done but that too will be constrained due to many other factors and one of them is ambivalence.

but i ask, does displacement in any way contribute to social mobility?

 

[Chronos]

I have bookmarked this and will read it at my leisure

oh, and stop making the other posters here look bad! Stop being so intelligent, courteous and nice.

It is not conduct befitting a defence forum.

amiritie guys?

 

[Cossack25A1]

Unfortunately, we have an example of a refugee crisis within the country with socioeconomic repercussion- the Zamboanga siege that devastated most of the city of Zamboanga left many homeless and are forced to live in evacuation centers which, after a year have passed, are still living there (in evacuation centers) due to too much bureaucracy.

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

Unfortunately, we have an example of a refugee crisis within the country with socioeconomic repercussion- the Zamboanga siege that devastated most of the city of Zamboanga left many homeless and are forced to live in evacuation centers which, after a year have passed, are still living there (in evacuation centers) due to too much bureaucracy.

Has this resulted in any kind of radicalization, or increased crime, or a shift in voting patterns?

 

[Aepsilons]

Unfortunately, we have an example of a refugee crisis within the country with socioeconomic repercussion- the Zamboanga siege that devastated most of the city of Zamboanga left many homeless and are forced to live in evacuation centers which, after a year have passed, are still living there (in evacuation centers) due to too much bureaucracy.

How is the resettlement issue going in Mindanao ? What do you think are the barriers to full integration of these IDPs ?

 

[tonyget]

I didn't know that you are a political study PhD, I always pictured you are a tech guy.

Good research BTW

 

[Aepsilons]

I didn't know that you are a political study PhD, I always pictured you are a tech guy.

Good research BTW

Reading and being addicted to PDF political threads (as of late) -- gave me a new found interest in social and human migration change. In fact, this case study is something very interesting because we are able to study -- in the real time-- of how governments are tested in handling demographic exigencies.