MENA: Geopolitics of Conflicts and Refugees

Abstract

Geopolitically intertwined and strategically significant, refugee policy in the MENA region is frequently analyzed in light of well-documented ethnic, religious, class, and border conflicts. Yet, policy is also inexorably linked to the broader geopolitics of the global refugee protection regime and discourse. This chapter analyzes the complex relationship between geopolitics, domestic political dynamics, and their attendant crises in the MENA region. It examines three regional case studies, which have been selected as representations of refugee and migration policy in the MENA region and for their role in triggering or complicating refugee movements. First, the situation of mixed migration across the Egyptian–Israeli border is discussed and the complexity of migration motivations highlighted. Second, the issue of Palestinian refugees in MENA is explored from a historical perspective, highlighting ongoing challenges to protecting human rights. Finally, the chapter discusses migration policy in Libya and its relationship with divergent EU and international interests.