Mass refugee movements represent a complex policy problem to host governments as they challenge existing socio-economic and political structures. While scholarship on refugee migration tends to centre on the Global North, most refugees actually reside in the Global South, where the capacity to provide assistance is limited.

Shifting the focus from sensationalist rhetoric about mass migration to the North, The Politics of Refugee Policy in the Global South provides a comparative analysis of Lebanon’s and Jordan’s responses to the Syrian refugee movement, one of the largest displacements in modern history. Through extensive interviews and process tracing, Ola El-Taliawi uncovers the complex realities of refugee hosting and the hard choices governments make in light of this challenge. Building on the concept of complexity, El-Taliawi employs a unique methodology and analytical approach, painting a nuanced picture of asylum provision and identifying a spectrum of refugee hosting models.

More than ever, we need a better understanding of the unique politics of refugee policymaking in the Global South. This incisive book offers key insights for effective governance and reform of the global refugee regime.

Ola G. El-Taliawi is assistant professor of public administration and policy science at the University of Twente.

Ola G. El-Taliawi's profile page

“Ola El-Taliawi’s reflexive analysis regarding the practice of fieldwork in refugee host states will be immensely useful to early‐career scholars conducting similar projects. Her book will quickly become embedded in ongoing debates and serve as an important part of the critical reassessment of the Syrian refugee crisis.” Gerasimos Tsourapas, author of Migration Diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa: Power, Mobility, and the State

“Providing evidence-based policy analysis, Ola El-Taliawi makes a very strong case that coordination and participatory planning between civil society actors and government institutions is essential for delivering an effective and coherent crisis response.” Nergis Canefe, editor of Transitional Justice and Forced Migration: Critical Perspectives from the Global South