TOPICS: REFUGEES AND MIGRATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST in Fall 2025 (ME2091A)

The course examines the contemporary human geography, history, and politics of the Middle East with regard to patterns of human settlement, migration, refugees and forced displacement. The course covers the region of the Middle East with a broad understanding: from Lebanon to Iraq, from Syria to Egypt and Sudan, from the Arabic Peninsula to Palestine and Turkey.

In the course, we will explore mobility in the Middle East. We will understand how mobility shapes the patterns of human settlement – from the cosmopolitan but segregated cities of the Gulf countries to the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon and Jordan -- across a region characterized by demographic growth, economic and social stagnation, important inequalities within each country and differences in development from one country to another, and political turmoil.

Against the backdrop of contemporary history (20th century until today), we will analyze the relationship between State building and displacement. We will also focus on some of the main conflicts that have propelled millions of people from the Middle East on the roads of exile. The course invites students to understand some of the most tragic humanitarian crises of our time, with a special focus on Palestine and Syria. Involuntary displacement provoked by environmental change will be addressed too.