Annals of Japan Association for Middle East Studies
Online ISSN : 2433-1872
Print ISSN : 0913-7858
Experiences and Attitudes toward Migration among Syrian Migrants and Refugees ([Special Feature] Political Change and Migration from the Middle East)
Yutaka TAKAOKA
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2019 Volume 35 Issue 1 Pages 69-93

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Abstract

The experience and attitudes of migrants toward migration vary according to their new locations. If it were the case that Syrian migrants or refugees were powerlessly pushed or moved blindly by the conflict, any patterns in the diversity of their perspective would be difficult to explain. This article aims therefore to reveal the reasons for such trends. To this end, we rely on findings from surveys and field research in the relevant countries.

The study relayed on a total of five opinion surveys which were administered between 2014 and 2017. Three surveys focusing on Arab migrants/refugees were administered in Jordan, Sweden, and Turkey, respectively. Two surveys were conducted in Syria. Additionally, dozens of interviews with Syrian and Arab migrants/refugees were conducted in Jordan and Sweden.

Resources, political considerations, and personal initiative led Syrians to their choices to migrate or stay in Syria. These factors are reflected in their diverse experiences, attitudes, and consciousness of migration/refuge and cross-border journeys, as well as in their choices of destination. In this context, Syrians affected by the conflict are not always vulnerable or powerless and, to a certain extent, they chose their destinations.

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© 2019 Japan Association for Middle East Studies (JAMES)
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