Migration/Refugees
Civil Marriage in Limbo
In Lebanon, the recurring debate around civil marriage highlights the sectarian-patriarchal grip on personal status affairs and the state itself.
The Juggernaut’s Achilles Heel
The US may have recognized Israel’s 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights, but the Golan Druze, like East Jerusalem Palestinians, continue to reject Israeli citizenship and civic participation. If Israel is now empowered to annex parts of the West Bank, will Palestinians there break the pattern and embrace citizenship if offered?
Can Israel Survive Netanyahu?
Following Benjamin Netanyahu’s reelection Israel is a land of contradictions, democratic and wealthy yet with dangerous demographic divisions
Syria and Regional Food Security
Syria and its neighbors all have a vested interest in resuming agricultural trade to increase food security across the region.
The EU-Arab Summit: A Chance to Reset Relations with the Arab World?
With EU and Arab League leaders set to convene a landmark summit for the first time in Sharm El-Sheikh this February, the stakes are high to agree on key issues, including migration, counter-terrorism and steps to end the war in Yemen.
Preserving Kurdish Autonomy
Divisions among the states vested in Syria are opening possibilities for Syria’s Kurds to secure greater protection for their autonomy.
Civil Society for the Displaced
To meet the challenges of massive human displacement in the Middle East and North Africa, civil society actors need a common platform where they can advocate. The MENA Civil Society Network for Displacement or CSND sets out to be that.
Faith That Peace Will One Day Come
Former United States president and architect of the Camp David Accords Jimmy Carter discusses the 1978 conference that changed the Middle East and the prospects for peace today.
Russia’s Mediating Role in Southern Yemen
Seeking to expand its influence in the Red Sea, Russia is hoping that mediating internal disputes in Yemen will help make the region more secure.
A New Beginning for Yemen?
The strategic role of the United States—and others—in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Yemen.
What Future for the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood Policy?
The upcoming EU-Arab summit could help in crafting a new regional relationship.
The Risks of Hardened Borders in North Africa
Rather than making North Africa safer, securitizing borders has raised the risk of instability along the region’s frontiers, where communities depend on smuggling.
The Qatar Blockade’s Impact on Migrants
The Global South’s New Migration
The issue of migration cannot, and should not be handled bilaterally between the Global North and Global South. What is needed instead is a focus on South-South relations to improve the lives of all people involved in migration.
In the Leopard’s Footprints
Despite the rise of the continent’s first populist government, in its relations with the Middle East, Italy shows remarkable continuity with its recent past in its emphasis on migration and energy security
Russia, Turkey, and the Fate of Idlib
In Idlib, Turkey could deter Russian airstrikes and ensure the region remains out of the Syrian regime’s control by going after extremist groups.
Building Fortress Europe
There is hypocrisy in Europe’s migration policies, which give lip service to human rights, but actually push back those seeking access to better lives.
Migration Myths and the Global South
The discourse currently dominating international migration privileges a Northern agenda and obfuscates the real causes and consequences of why people move. A greater focus on the Global South is essential.
In a Storm Not of their Making
The arrival of mass numbers of Syrian refugees in Europe has ignited a “perfect storm” for the surge of xenophobia and populist politics among Europeans. Its cause, however, originates in the West and not with the Syrians themselves.
A Horrible Game Changer
The Trump administration’s decision to cut aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East or UNRWA may highlight a need for institutional reform. Nonetheless, the humanitarian crisis and political unrest resulting from such a decision far outweigh any benefits.
A Compact for Syrian Refugee Women?
When the “Jordan Compact” was inked between European governments and Jordan in 2016, it was presented as a transformative experiment in employing and empowering Syrian refugees. Two years later, the Compact has failed to help Syrians and address the realities of working refugee women.
From Africa to Israel to Nowhere
Thousands of undocumented Africans in Israel present the Jewish-majority state with an existential question: how open is Israel—originally a safe haven for displaced Jews—to newly-arrived non-Jewish migrants?
Empowering Yemen’s Displaced Women
Since 2004, internal displacement in Yemen has hit women the hardest. Rather than narrowly focus on life-saving assistance, humanitarian organizations must develop policies with women’s strategic and long-term needs in mind.
Erdoğan’s Achilles Heel
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s policy toward Syrian refugees could become his downfall as anti-refugee sentiment in Turkey grows, especially if the economy weakens.
Loose Ends of a Deal
Turkey and the European Union signed a “Refugee Deal” to curb migration into Europe. But unfulfilled provisions of the deal are leading to problematic EU–Turkey relations.
Jordan at the Crossroads
Jordan’s economic, demographic and geographic characteristics have left the country vulnerable to mass protests and external pressure that can only be overcome by a comprehensive reform program.
What’s Next for Gaza
The crisis in Gaza and possible Israeli policies which could create real change on the ground.
Battling for Southwestern Syria
While Assad and his supporters seem close to reconquering Southwestern Syria, stability is far from assured.
Syria Podcast, Part 2
Dr. Nader Hashemi explains his views on the Obama Administration’s mistakes in the Syrian Civil War.
“We want to see real results”
The Cairo Review speaks to Rothna Begum about the status of female migrant domestic workers in the Gulf.
Syria Podcast, Part 1
ISIS, Russia, and Iran’s Influence on the Syrian Civil War.
Breaking North Africa’s Border Security Conundrum
Although Maghreb states have tended to pursue border security unilaterally, increased transnational coordination at the local level offers a more sustainable approach.
Kuwait’s Foreign Labor Quandary
Recent tensions with the Philippines regarding mistreatment of domestic workers highlight Kuwait’s dependence on foreign labor for lower-paying jobs.
Morocco’s Difficult Path to ECOWAS Membership
Although Morocco is aiming to diversify its trade relations into West Africa, political and social opposition within ECOWAS raises questions about its real intentions.
The Meaning of Eastern Ghouta and Assad’s “Victory”
The Assad regime has won the war; it cannot, however, win the peace.
Educating Syrian Refugees in Turkey
Though challenges remain, Turkey is pushing forward with efforts to integrate Syrian students and teachers into its education system.
Remembering Nubia
Anthropologist Fadwa El Guindi remembers her start at AUC, and how she discovered Nubia.
Refugee Champion
Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband quit Parliament to take up the helm of the International Rescue Committee. He speaks to Cairo Review Senior Editor Amir-Hussein Radjy about the biggest refugee crisis since World War II and the personal family story that drives his work.
Terrorism and Resistance
The wave of terrorist attacks in 2016 has clear roots in the violence of military-driven foreign policies.
The Fall of Aleppo
Syrian rebels are unlikely to rebound from defeat anytime soon, while Iran and Russia stand to gain immensely.
Time to Explore New Responses to War Crimes
It is time to explore credible and effective mechanisms that can investigate war crimes allegations by all concerned parties, no matter how powerful or wealthy they may be.
Greece Bears EU’s Refugee Burden
Europe remains an unreliable partner for Greece in handling the refugee crisis.
Crisis of Identity
Europe’s social and economic order fundamentally changed with the end of the industrial era in the 1970s. The resulting tensions led to an identity crisis, as minorities sought to address injustices and nationalists agitated against cultural and religious diversity. Is multiculturalism now destined to fail?
Our Great Migration Challenge
The current refugee crisis in Europe underscores the imperative of integration: to achieve healthy societies, immigrants must integrate, but they must also be offered a real chance to reach their full potential.
Closing the Gates
Europe’s security-driven response to the surge of refugees has been cowardly and xenophobic. There are more viable approaches: granting temporary protections, offering broader alternatives to asylum for those fleeing conflict, and adopting more flexible visa policies.
The Paradox of Arab France
A century after the mass immigration of North Africans began, Arabs in France are more present in politics, the economy, and culture than ever before. Yet part of the French population rejects a shared history in favor of the myth of the “interior enemy.”
Leaving Syrians No Options
By destroying rebel groups’ attempts at local governance, Russian military assistance is helping Assad present his government as the only viable force to rule Syria.
Refugee Crisis Calls for International Solidarity
On the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, the UN director-general in Geneva asks what happened to international solidarity. The world, and not only Europe, is responsible for the refugee crisis roiling international relations.
From Syria to São Paulo
Middle Eastern immigrants began arriving in the 1850s, and Brazilian governments have long promoted a narrative of harmonious relations between Arabs and Jews. Is this a myth? Is it a basis for a more robust Brazilian foreign policy for the region?