Politics of Humanitarianism: Refugee Crises in South and West Asia

• In Event: Crossing Boundaries: Exploring Refugees and Diaspora in South, Southeast and West Asia

Abstract

Refugee crises triggered by internal wars is not uncommon in Asia. Yet comparative studies on refugees across Asia are lacking. The West Asia as a region is experiencing an unprecedented refugee and migration movements in recent history due to a complex set of geopolitical factors. While some of this population mobility in the form of migration has been part of the historical inequalities in the region; recent conflicts, civil wars and foreign interventions have led to serious humanitarian crises. Syrian civil war has created over 3 million refugees spread in 40 countries. The brunt of the crisis is, however, faced by the frontline states, i.e., Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan. This paper will explore the refugee crisis of Syria examining its humanitarian, political and development implications. The paper examines the geopolitical implications of the humanitarian crises caused by the Syrian refugees and the response of Turkey, one of the larger neighbors. The case of Syria deserves special attention because until recently, i.e., before the civil war broke out, Syria was a refugee receiving country. The civil war has transformed it into a refugee sending country.

The paper then compares the response of Turkey to the Syrian refugees in 2014 with the Indian response to the Bangladeshi refugees in 1971. These two refugee crises show how humanitarian crises become entangled with political and economic considerations, and how geo-political and diplomatic imperatives influence humanitarian response and reconstitute the relations between the global and national societies.

Author

• Habibul Haque Khondker, Zayed University