Mobility Control as State-Making in Civil War: Forcing Exit, Selective Return and Strategic Laissez-Faire

The violent escalation in most of Syria since 2023 and the continuation of the Assad dictatorship suggest that nowhere in the country is safe. Outlined are the key details to this. Any plans to forcibly return Syrian refugees from Middle Eastern and European countries should therefore be rejected.

For their outstanding article “Mobility Control as State-Making in Civil War: Forcing Exit, Selective Return, and Strategic Laissez-Faire,” published in Migration Politics, Dr. Christiane Fröhlich and Dr. Lea Müller-Funk were awarded this year’s Routledge Area Studies Interdisciplinarity Award.

In 2023, German and European authorities expect refugee numbers to rise further. Whether existing attitudes towards refugees in Germany can be changed by positive or negative statements made about their further admission in future is discussed in this Focus Global.

This infographic shows the factors influencing migration decision-making. At the global/national level, factors such as the economy, environment (including climate change), politics, and culture contribute to a person's decision to migrate. These factors affect the individual's adaptive capacity and vulnerability.

This infographic illustrates the (im)mobility trajectories in conflict settings, specifically focusing on Syria. It highlights various regions and the displacement patterns within these conflict zones. Key areas depicted include Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, and surrounding regions.

The violent escalation in most of Syria since 2023 and the continuation of the Assad dictatorship suggest that nowhere in the country is safe. Outlined are the key details to this. Any plans to forcibly return Syrian refugees from Middle Eastern and European countries should therefore be rejected.

For their outstanding article “Mobility Control as State-Making in Civil War: Forcing Exit, Selective Return, and Strategic Laissez-Faire,” published in Migration Politics, Dr. Christiane Fröhlich and Dr. Lea Müller-Funk were awarded this year’s Routledge Area Studies Interdisciplinarity Award.

In 2023, German and European authorities expect refugee numbers to rise further. Whether existing attitudes towards refugees in Germany can be changed by positive or negative statements made about their further admission in future is discussed in this Focus Global.