We are proud to announce the publication of a new article in Ethnic and Racial Studies:

By Sarah Nandi, Oroub El_Abed, Megan Bradley, and Hamzah Qardan

Published: March 21, 2025 in Ethnic and Racial Studies

This timely and insightful research explores how refugees in Jordan, particularly Somali, Sudanese, Syrian, and Iraqi communities, navigate resettlement – both in pursuit and in refusal – through an intersectional lens. Drawing on in-depth fieldwork, this study reveals how gender, race, nationality, and power dynamics shape both aspirations and resistance to resettlement. The article challenges dominant narratives that frame resettlement as a universally desired solution and calls for an intersectional approach to understanding refugee agency, particularly in Global South contexts.

Key highlights:

• Unpacks how “resettlement-mindedness” and “deservedness” manifests through vocational and language training efforts in pursuit of self-reliance objectives .
• Challenges the assumption that resettlement is a universally desired solution.
• Offers a nuanced understanding of refugee agency in the Global South.

We invite scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and community members to engage with this important work.

Read the full article

The post New Article: Being “resettlement-minded”: Intersectional Dimensions of Refugee Resettlement Strategies and Refusals in Jordan appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

Working Paper 27

Sarah Nandi, Department of Political Science, McGill University

Oroub El Abed, International Migration and Refugee Studies, Birzeit University

Megan Bradley, Department of Political Science, McGill University

Hamzah Qardan, USAID, Jordan

Executive Summary

The three durable solutions, namely resettlement to a third country, local integration, and voluntary repatriation, aim to resolve refugeehood. However, these traditional pathways are no longer feasible for the majority of refugees. How different refugees access or think about solutions for their situation, including their perceptions and pursuit of the traditional and alternative pathways, are shaped by intersecting factors such as gender, race, nationality, and class. In order to better understand how different displaced communities navigate this “meantime” period of liminality, this study draws upon interviews with refugees and humanitarian staff in Amman, Jordan to examine the paths that refugees make for themselves even under enormous risk and constraints. To do so, we propose the concept of “para-solutions”, which can be understood as the parallel pathways that refugees create for themselves to access some of the benefits associated with residency rights or limited forms of establishing a life outside of Jordan. Para-solutions include both the tangible practices that refugees use in solutions-making in the present as well as the future hope attached to the different strategies. We examine para-solutions through two sub-categories: para-residency and para-mobility. Para-residency includes solutions that are localized in the Jordanian setting, deal mainly in the temporal present, and include practices such as pursuing education, vocational training, and volunteering opportunities.

Para-mobility is often focused on the future by including a hopefulness for what may become possible outside of Jordan and operates through higher education scholarships, short-term labour contracts in other countries or online, or travel through family relationships and marriage. Together, these para-solutions offer a more complete and intersectional representation of what “solutions” look like from the perspectives of refugees and show how the traditional pathways are always situated within a much broader solutions spectrum that challenges preconceived notions of belonging while also speaking to the critical role of hope.

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In The Meantime: Gender, Race, Nationality, and “Para- Solutions” for Refugees in Amman, Jordan

PRINT-In The Meantime: Gender, Race, Nationality, and “Para- Solutions” for Refugees in Amman, Jordan

Summary: In The Meantime: Gender, Race, Nationality, and “Para- Solutions” for Refugees in Amman, Jordan

View the full LERRN Working Paper Series here:

DOI

Citation

Nandi, S., El Abed, O., Bradley, M., Qardan, H. (2024). In The Meantime: Gender, Race, Nationality, and “Para- Solutions” for Refugees in Amman, Jordan. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN). 

The post In The Meantime: Gender, Race, Nationality, and “Para- Solutions” for Refugees in Amman, Jordan appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

We are pleased to announce that the Lead Researchers of the RLO Evaluation: Middle East Project have published an article titled “Refugee mobilisation to support refugee rights in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey” in the June 2023 Special Issue of Forced Migration Review: Mobilising for rights in the MENA region. The article explores the research process and findings of the 18-month study evaluating Refugee-led Organizations in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey and the significant impact of RLOs on members of both refugee and host communities.

Please visit FMR’s landing page for the Special Issue using the buttons below, or download the PDF directly in English, French or Arabic:

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Mobilisation pour les droits dans la région MENA

Mobilising for rights in the MENA region

التعبئة من أجل نيل الحقوق في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا

The post New Article: Refugee Mobilisation to Support Refugee Rights in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

Patterns of Refugees’ Organization Amid Protracted Displacement: An Understanding From Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey

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Patterns of Refugees’ Organization Amid Protracted Displacement: An Understanding From Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey

Oroub El-Abed, Watfa Najdi, and Mustafa Hoshmand from the just published a new article on the patterns of refugee organizations in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey in The Journal on Migration and Human Security. The findings of this amazing research were launched during a webinar on January 16^th �پ��ٱ����,&�Բ�����;“Refugee Communities Mobilising in the Middle East.”

This study establishes a body of evidence on the effective structures of refugee communities despite the obstacles presented in hosts states. The authors prove that refugees have the ability to take control and (re-) build their communities by utilizing effective leadership networks with peers and support organizations, a specific agenda, and funding to meet community needs. The numerous organizational patterns and typologies used by refugees present evidence for the need to extend RLOs’ activities and allow them to play a bigger part in delivering humanitarian aid, community support, and empowerment. Finally, the authors encourage policymakers, funders, and practitioners to use this research to inform their engagement with different types of RLOs in their regions, considering the range of structures, strategies, and levels of formality that these groups exhibit.

Article Authors

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Mustafa Hoshmand

• Lead Country Researcher in Turkey, RLO Evaluation

Oroub El-Abed

• Regional Research Coordinator, RLO Evaluation in the Middle East

Watfa Najdi

• Lead Country Researcher in Lebanon, RLO Evaluation

The post JMHS Special Issue on Protracted Displacement appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

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On January 16, the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN), in collaboration with the Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS), hosted a webinar to launch the Middle East results from the project Evaluation of Refugee-Led Organizations in East Africa and the Middle East. More than 100 participants from 25 countries joined the webinar to learn about refugee mobilisation and refugee-led organizations (RLOs) in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. The webinar featured panelists Oroub El-Abed, Watfa Najdi, Mustafa Hoshmand, and Farah Al Hamouri from the research team, as well as discussants Meryem Aslan and Yara Mourad. Recent international commitments to localize aid, such as the 2018 Global Compact on Refugees, has placed an emphasis on enhancing refugees’ self-reliance and recognizing the value of refugee participation in decision-making. Coupled with the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, these global dynamics have resulted in . The results of the Middle East research on refugee-led responses, summarized in the Executive Summary published ahead of the webinar, reveal conclusions that speak directly to these global trends and shed new light on the dynamics of refugee-led responses.

Oroub El-Abed kicked off the presentation by emphasizing that there is a long history of refugee-led responses in the Middle East. However, there have been very few studies that provide evidence of RLO impact. This study, similar to the study of RLOs in East Africa, demonstrates the positive impact of RLOs in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. The results are a testament to the importance of enhancing refugee self-reliance and decision-making.

Watfa Najdi explained that RLOs in the Middle East vary significantly in terms of their organizational structures, agendas, and activities. Indeed, “one of the most particular advantages of RLOs is that they are able to identify the community needs in a very collaborative and inclusive way which results in the variations in the RLO activities in the region” Najdi explained. Farah Al Hamouri reflected on the obstacles to refugee agency in the region. The diverse policies of host states in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey grant different access to official registration for RLOs. Official registration is an important determinant of the capacity of RLOs, since registration enables access to international funding, ensures safety while operating, and establishes networks with other organizations. Mustafa Hoshmand emphasized that it is challenging to measure some of the most important impacts of RLOs, such as the social capital they build in refugee communities or their ability to bring awareness to refugee voices. RLOs may also play a role in building positive relationships with the host community and the state.

Reflecting on the report findings, El-Abed suggested a wide range of recommendations that could enhance the impact of RLOs in the region, help them better serve their communities, foster a trust-based relationship with RLOs, and better address the needs of refugees. These recommendations – addressing issues ranging from local to national to transnational levels – point out the need for more permissive laws that allow refugees to mobilise publicly and to register their organizations. The research team also recommended ensuring that a wider range of RLOs can access funding.

Yara Mourad from the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut (AUB) agreed with the factors that condition RLO responses, such as the policy environment of host countries and barriers surrounding the registration of RLOs. Mourad added that the dynamics of host communities are also a major factor in the activities of RLOs. Mourad suggested that future research could ask questions related to the relationship between refugee mobilisation and host communities: How can RLOs support refugees and host community members?  What are best practices for outreach to the local community? How can RLOs contribute to community cohesion? Meryem Aslan from Oxfam Netherlands and the Refugee Council of Turkey further emphasized the importance of and solidarity between international, national, and local partners working in the field of humanitarian aid. Aslan stated that while registration is crucial for RLOs to ensure a safe environment for their activities, registration does not guarantee funding, as pointed out by .

During the audience Q&A, the panelists drew attention to the importance of including localized knowledge and ensuring the safety of refugees when conducting research with refugee communities and with refugee research assistants. Ana Belén Anguita Arjona from UNHCR further underlined the importance of considering questions of representation and diversity in RLO mobilisation. How do different minority groups within refugee communities, such as people with different sexual orientations or people with disabilities, participate in RLOs and benefit from RLOs? It is also crucial that partnerships go beyond financial aid to building trust and solidarity. In conclusion, El-Abed emphasized that “refugees are active regardless of the barriers that affect them” and they exercise agency in different ways. Despite restrictive environments, refugee mobilisation continues. It is important to recognize the smaller, unregistered, and often “invisible” RLOs who do important work in their communities.

This report was prepared by Irem Karabağ, LERRN Project Writer. 

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Executive Summary – Refugee Communities Mobilising in the Middle East: Refugee-led Organisations in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey

Final Report – Refugee Communities Mobilising in the Middle East: Refugee-Led Organisations in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey

ملخص تنفيذي – تقييم المنظمات التي يقودها اللاجئون في الأردن ولبنان وتركيا

Further Reading:

The post Report Launch: Refugee Communities Mobilising in the Middle East appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

In the second of a series of webinars on the ethics of forced migration research co-hosted by the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the , our panel of speakers reflected on the theme of building research relationships and setting the agenda. The panel featured Dr. Alice Nah, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Politics at the University of York, UK and one of the founding members of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, as well as Mark Okello Oyat, Director of the Dadaab Response Association. During the webinar, Dr. Oroub El-Abed joined the panel, bringing her experience as Regional Research Coordinator for LERRN in Jordan and Lebanon, and as Lead Researcher in Jordan for the Centre for Lebanese Studies.

The panel began by reflecting on the importance of questions on research partnerships and agenda-setting. Moderator Susan McGrath, reflecting on the experiences of the RRN and the challenges of sustaining a research network, highlighted the , entitled . Alice Nah, who started her work on displacement as an advocate and activist,  discussed how institutional incentive structures can take academics away from relevant research by emphasizing theoretical contributions to academic disciplines over relevance, practical impact, or solutions to the problems displaced communities face. That can make it challenging for academics to do reciprocal and impactful research.

For Mark Okello Oyat, who lives in an encampment, this conversation is personal because researchers usually come from outside of the camp with their own research agenda and set of questions, which limits the participation of refugees themselves. It is important to empower refugees to tell their own stories and to conduct their own research on topics that they consider to be important. An alternative approach, like the one taken by LERRN, has provided researchers  from Dadaab a platform to  publish their research on refugee education as LERRN Working Papers. These papers examine topics that have been neglected in previous research and global discussions, such as Mark’s paper on the issue of corporal punishment in refugee schools. Mark emphasized that refugees who are empowered to be independent researchers are then able to connect with scholars around the world.

The panelists criticized how refugees are sometimes brought into research partnerships as subordinate research partners. Oroub El-Abed asked “What is the role of refugee researchers being involved? Is it just getting them to do the work or are we really empowering them?” The speakers advocated for involving refugees and local researchers from the beginning of conceptualizing the problems and asking the questions they see as important in their communities, rather than recruiting refugees to implement existing projects.

Mark suggested that research cannot only be about knowledge production, but needs to have a purpose. The evidence collected in research is an important foundation of advocacy for policymakers to lobby for changes in policy and practice. Oroub suggested that research can be part of standing against the authoritarian oppression of refugees and disturbing states involved in that oppression. Making space for refugees in research can involve theatre, exhibitions, or documentaries in addition to traditional written research publications. Alice also emphasized the importance of making the research relevant in different forums, including within scholarly, practitioner, and refugee communities. Well-respected institutions and scholars in the North can also lend legitimacy to the research findings of refugees and local researchers, and stand with them in solidarity when there are potential risks for speaking up.

The discussion raised important questions about trust, power, and resources. Unfortunately, some recent scholarship has not connected with long-standing conversations on these debates. Without reflecting on these questions, we risk reproducing power asymmetries, inequalities, and problematic policy paradigms. Alice questioned how some ever-present issues get onto research agendas in the first place and asked “Who has the power to turn something into something worthy of investigation, worthy of investment?” As explained in a recent open-access article by LERRN researchers (), localizing knowledge production will require transferring power – including power to set the research agenda – to researchers in the South. One of the key features of the LERRN partnership is that the research agenda is set by working groups in East Africa and the Middle East. One thing we have learned during the pandemic is that virtual spaces open up possibilities for more inclusive and global conversations.

Stay tuned for future webinars in the series in 2022!

This report was prepared by: Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer; Amanda Klassen, LERRN Project Officer; and Kail Schlachter, LERRN Project Writer.

The LERRN-RRN Webinar Series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research is coordinated by Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer. For further information or ideas please contact us here.

The post LERRN-RRN Webinar | Building Research Relationships and Setting the Agenda appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

By Dr. Oroub El Abed 

Jordan is taking a number of pivotal measures to fight the spread of COVID-19. In her latest post, Dr. Oroub El Abed, a principal researcher and co-investigator in Jordan at the , outlines the new challenges this crisis has created in the labour market, especially for the most vulnerable wageworkers, including refugees and migrants.

An alarming message from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission in Western Asia (ESCWA )[1] warning of the severe consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on women, children and the daily workers of the informal sector who have no social protection or insurance. In Jordan, which has declared State of Emergency since March, 17^th 2020, to take all pre-emptive restrictions to control the spread of the virus, a special fund has been established to address the needs of families inflicted by the crisis. “Al Khair” account, opened as per Defence Order No 4 of 2020,[2] for the benefit of underprivileged families at the Ministry of Social Development. The fund aims to channel the money from local and international donations to support the impact of the lockdown and curfew imposed on the cities.

Al Khair fund as explained by the Prime Minister of Jordan, shall target families that have been directly affected and the daily wage workers who have lost their source of income due to the lockdown. Moreover, as a way to support the private sector, especially the small enterprises, the Central Bank of Jordan has launched a soft financing programme for small-and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) [3] providing financing to professionals, craftspeople and SMEs to cover their operational working capital and limit the fall out of the coronavirus impact on their businesses.

This emergency response, that seeks to support national capital and mobilize resources to provide social protection to the poor and vulnerable people in the informal sector and to secure protection of the private sector workers, has not mentioned the refugees, per se, who also live under a nationwide curfew to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Jordan hosts multinational refugees especially the mass influx in the last twenty years as a result of the regional conflicts in the Arab World. Today, the Syrians constitute the majority where about 656,103 (as registered by UNCHR)[4] live in Jordan added to few ten thousands Iraqis, Libyans, Yemeni, Somali and Sudanese.

This is added to the Palestinian refugees, who do not hold the Jordanian nationality and make around 634,182 as per 2015 census.[5] The United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that refugees in Jordan who make about 745,192 live in majority 83.5 percent in urban areas meanwhile about 16.5 percent live in three camps for the Syrians in the north of the country and 17 percent in UNRWA camps for Palestine refugees.[6]

As part of Jordan compact, which sought in 2016 to economically integrate the Syrian refugees, certain jobs have been left open[7] for investing in the Syrian refugee human capital through mobilizing international funds in industrial economic areas. Currently, only 173,000 of Syrian refugees hold work permits and are able to work in the services and construction industries.[8] Yet, the majority of the refugees (including Syrians and other nationalities) have chosen to work informally, with no contracts or access to health or medical insurance which has made them even more vulnerable as a result of the three weeks of lockdown all over Jordan.

Both UNRWA, which serves the Palestinian refugees[9] and UNHCR[10] have launched COVID appeals in the month of March seeking additional funding to manage the emergency response, in order to support households who have lost their source of income with immediate cash assistance. Moreover, they are negotiating with key ministries in Jordan to ensure that the response measures taken by the government of Jordan concerning the employment sector of daily wage workers are applied as well to refugees, and not only citizens.

At the civil society level, there has been several initiatives led by the Jordan National Aid Fund (under the Ministry of Social Development) and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), inviting grassroots and local NGOs to share the contacts of their beneficiaries, regardless of their nationalities, who have been direly affected by the lockdown. Naua, a social impact platform (under Crown Prince Foundation) that aims to promote philanthropy and civic engagement, is leading a national campaign with the Ministry of Social Development to support daily wage workers and their 200,000 families through mobilizing aid from individuals and private sector institutions.[11] These initiatives seek to provide some financial support and basic food packages. With the month of Ramadan (the month of fasting for Muslims) looming in the near future, the situation, if the lockdown persists, may become more alarming.

Dr. El Abed is a Collaborator on the LERRN partnership, a postdoctoral research fellow and Co-investigator at the on the project studying ‘From Education to Employment: Trajectories of Youth in Jordan and Lebanon in Contexts of Protracted Displacement.’

[1]  Coronavirus pandemic threatens to plunge millions in Arab region into poverty and food insecurity, 1/April/2020

[2] Jordan Times, 31/March/2020 :

[3]  CBJ launches JD500m soft financing programme for SMEs, Jordan Times, 1/April/2020

[4] . The Jordanian government estimates the Syrians to be around 1’500,000.

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

The post The Severe Consequences of the COVID Pandemic on Daily Wage Workers in Jordan appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

By Yasmeen Shahzadeh and Dr. Oroub El-Abed

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Dr. Oroub El-Abed

The post International Day of Education: Putting youth at the forefront appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.