Syrians on the Edge: The Status of Refugees in Neighboring Countries

This MPI panel discussion, in partnership with the Middle East Institute and the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM), examines the status of Syrian refugees abroad and the effect of the ongoing Syrian crisis on Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. Panelists Oytun Orhan, ORSAM Project Coordinator and Researcher, Peri-Khan Aqrawi-Whitcomb, Middle East Research Institute Junior Research Fellow, Faysal Itani, Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, and Saban Kardas, ORSAM President discuss the experiences of each country as outlined in ORSAM’s report. The project team visited each country and after six months of boots-on-the-ground research, found that women and children account for more than 75 percent of the refugees, making education in particular a devastating issue for the next generation of Syrians. In addition, Syrian emigrants settle not only in camps but also in cities, raising prices and lowering wages all along the Syrian borders. The discussion is moderated by Kathleen Newland, Director of the Refugee Protection Program at MPI.

The panel makes the case that because of the heavy financial and social costs, Syrian displacement is not merely a problem for Syria or even the greater Middle East; the destabilization is a global problem requiring significant outreach to the global community.

To read the report from ORSAM, click here: www.orsam.org.tr/en/showReport.aspx?ID=2638