FORCED MIGRATION FROM THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC: A SNAPSHOT FROM THE COVID-19 PERIOD

Abstract

This study revisits the forced displacement from the Syrian Arab Republic, considered one of the biggest mass migration movements that occurred since the beginning of the 'Arab Spring' movements. With the prolongation of the crisis, the involvement of international actors and the COVID-19 pandemic, the plight of asylum seekers worsened, while the infrastructure of the host countries also continued to face challenges. According to the data compiled by the UNHCR from the said countries as of mid-2024, there are currently 3,115,344 Syrians with temporary protection status (SuTPs) in the Republic of Türkiye, followed by 779,645 Syrians in the Lebanese Republic, 631,656 Syrians in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 282,620 Syrians in the Republic of Iraq, and 156,378 Syrians in the Arab Republic of Egypt. In the literature, there is common consensus that the Republic of Türkiye, especially during the initial years of the protracted Syrian conflict, pursued an 'open door policy' vis-à-vis the Syrian asylum seekers. Despite periodic setbacks and attempts to stem further mass migration movements from Syria since the year 2019, state practice vis-à-vis the displaced Syrians remains inclusive if one is to judge from the overall facilitation of access to healthcare, schooling, and the labor market. Building on these observations and relying on secondary sources and reports, the present article makes a modest attempt to take a snapshot of the SuTPs ' legal status and discusses the extent to which they have accessed healthcare during the COVID-19 period and beyond.