5 - Transgenerational Displacement and Integration among Palestinians and Palestinian Refugees from Syria in Jordan

Summary

The case of Palestinians and Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS) in Jordan raises the question of how a host society addresses transgenerational displacement. This essay examines how the policy of nonforcible return has been carried out in practice. It argues that the security aspect of refugee assistance has determined the mechanisms that facilitate integration.Security in this context needs to be viewed in two ways: in terms of the state’s perception of the movement of refugees through the borders of the state and the boundaries between the camp and the cities, and from the perspective of the refugees’ personal security, in terms of welfare and socioeconomic stability. The essay analyzes the significance of identity in Jordan. As the Palestinian community has steadily grown since 1948, a schism has emerged between the East Bank Jordanian and the Palestinian-Jordanian communities as the Jordanian population became the minority community. The essay considers how far the insecurity experienced by the host state impacts its refugee policies and whether the country can sustain a policy of integration once the postwar period arrives.