The effects of national policy on refugee welfare and related security issues a comparative study of Lebanon, Egypt and Syria

Abstract

The growing and persistent nature of today's protracted refugee situations pose significant threats to the host countries and regions that support these vulnerable people. While stateless, refugees fall under the protection of the international community and its laws. However, it is the effects of state policy that actually shape the living conditions and the opportunities available for refugees, and in turn influence the security repercussions they can set in motion. This thesis examines the relationship between the tendency of state policies regarding Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria to create isolation or integration, and the relative extent of national and regional security issues and concerns surrounding refugees within their respective territories. From these relationships, this study will determine that national policies that effectively contribute to integrating refugees into the host society, as opposed to isolating them, will greatly reduce the security consequences of hosting refugees.