Associate Doctoral Candidate Salam Alhaj Hasan

Refugee economies: The case of Syrian refugees in Jordan

In my PhD research, I focus on how Syrian refugees in Jordan cope with displacement economically.
Since 2011, more than 5.5 million Syrians have crossed international borders to flee their homes (UNHCR, 2018). They reside mainly in five neighboring countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt). Displacement poses challenges on host countries and on refugees. With increasingly longer periods of displacement, aid funding is decreasing. The regional refugee and resilience plan reports lower percentages of funding received each year. In 2017, the plan received ($2.45 billion) 53% of its appeal compared to 71% in 2013. In addition, most hosting countries grant no legal status to refugees and consider them “guests” limiting their rights of work and movement. Refugees, hence, struggle to secure basic needs. According to a UNICEF assessment, more than 85% of Syrian refugee children live in poverty in Jordan. Despite such restrictions, refugees do have agency and find strategies to generate income. More than 90% of them live out-side camps. While this lowers the chances they receive aid, it might increase the chances they find jobs. Regulations and aid differ between camps and out-side camps. Because of this difference in institutional settings, I chose Jordan as my case study. The country hosts more than 658,716 registered Syrian refugees. In addition, it has established three official camps unlike Lebanon where camps are not allowed.
My research investigates the dynamics of refugee economies. I examine how refugees allocate their resources within the institutional context in Jordan. My theoretical framework suggests that the main factors influencing the economic behaviour of refugees include: regulations pertaining to work and movement, international aid, and other factors relating to the social and human capital of refugees. I hypothesize about the channels of influence using microeconomic theory and different income and labour functions. The empirical part of my research tests these hypotheses and feeds back to my theoretical framework. For example, using my data, I test if humanitarian assistance is encouraging individuals to opt for informal work.
By observing already emerging market-based activities, and quantifying effects of different institutional settings on income and labour, I can provide an economic perspective on the dynamics of these emerging economies. Such a perspective is lacking in the literature. Very few empirical studies tackle the issues of refugee economies; fewer still deal with this issue in the context of the Middle East. My research aims to fill this gap, contribute to the knowledge on the different effects that alternative institutional approaches will bring about for refugees livelihoods and will provide insights into the effectiveness of related policies put in place by host countries and international organisations.

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Löwenstein

About Salam Alhaj Hasan