Choosing immobility? Palestinian refugees from Syria and Syrian refugees in Gaza

Keywords: Gaza, Syria, migration, humanitarianism, statelessness
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Monday
Session Start / End Time: 2/28/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/28/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 25

Abstract

Since the war in Syria started in 2011, maybe 5000 Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees from Syria (third and fourth generation of Palestinian refugees in Syria since 1948, here PRS) have sought refuge in the Gaza strip. Most have fled from Syria, via Lebanon and Egypt, and crossing into Gaza either via the Egyptian controlled Rafah border of Gaza, or illegally via tunnels. After a long and dangerous journey, they have ended up in the besieged Gaza strip, under Israeli-Egyptian blockade and military control, characterized by high levels of poverty and unemployment. In Gaza, 80 percent of the population are Palestinian refugees, and freedom of movement out of the enclave is restricted.

Why would Syrian refugees and PRS choose to flee to Gaza? How did they end up in Gaza? Building on in-depth interviews with mainly female Syrian refugees and PRS conducted in 2020-2021, this paper addresses dynamics of refugees’ decision making in conflict settings. This case speaks to the emerging literature about migrants’ mobility. The second part of the paper discusses how their living conditions and immobility in Gaza is affected by both statelessness, poverty, and different legal, semi-legal, and humanitarian definitions, sometimes in highly gendered ways.