Mobility Control as State-Making in Civil War: Forcing Exit, Selective Return and Strategic Laissez-Faire
Christiane Fröhlich / Lea Müller-Funk
Mobility Control as State-Making in Civil War: Forcing Exit, Selective Return and Strategic Laissez-Faire
Migration Politics | 2023
Abstract
This paper addresses the question of how different actors attempt to control mobility during civil war, and how mobility control and processes of state-making interact in such settings. Mobility in civil wars is often considered a political act by the various actors involved: Leaving the country can be perceived as an act of opposition, as can moving between territories which are controlled by different, opposing factions. Drawing on literature on strategic displacement and migration politics and combining this with empirical insights from the ongoing wars in Libya and Syria, the paper identifies three mechanisms of mobility control in civil war settings: forcing exit, selective return as a form of expulsion, and strategic laissez-faire as the intentional absence of regulation regarding displacement and return. The analysis reveals that all three mechanisms are employed by state actor(s), rebels, and militias, and can be understood as elements of a new (post)war order that includes some citizens while excluding others depending on perceptions of political threats. We interpret the three mechanisms as ways in which actors in civil war settings attempt to manipulate a country’s demography in their own favour in a process of state-making. The paper is based on fieldwork conducted between 2018 and 2021 in Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Tunisia.
This infographic illustrates the (im)mobility trajectories in conflict settings, specifically focusing on Syria. It highlights various regions and the displacement patterns within these conflict zones. Key areas depicted include Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, and surrounding regions.
The violent escalation in most of Syria since 2023 and the continuation of the Assad dictatorship suggest that nowhere in the country is safe. Outlined are the key details to this. Any plans to forcibly return Syrian refugees from Middle Eastern and European countries should therefore be rejected.
For their outstanding article “Mobility Control as State-Making in Civil War: Forcing Exit, Selective Return, and Strategic Laissez-Faire,” published in Migration Politics, Dr. Christiane Fröhlich and Dr. Lea Müller-Funk were awarded this year’s Routledge Area Studies Interdisciplinarity Award.
In 2023, German and European authorities expect refugee numbers to rise further. Whether existing attitudes towards refugees in Germany can be changed by positive or negative statements made about their further admission in future is discussed in this Focus Global.
This infographic shows the factors influencing migration decision-making. At the global/national level, factors such as the economy, environment (including climate change), politics, and culture contribute to a person's decision to migrate. These factors affect the individual's adaptive capacity and vulnerability.
This infographic illustrates the (im)mobility trajectories in conflict settings, specifically focusing on Syria. It highlights various regions and the displacement patterns within these conflict zones. Key areas depicted include Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, and surrounding regions.
The violent escalation in most of Syria since 2023 and the continuation of the Assad dictatorship suggest that nowhere in the country is safe. Outlined are the key details to this. Any plans to forcibly return Syrian refugees from Middle Eastern and European countries should therefore be rejected.
For their outstanding article “Mobility Control as State-Making in Civil War: Forcing Exit, Selective Return, and Strategic Laissez-Faire,” published in Migration Politics, Dr. Christiane Fröhlich and Dr. Lea Müller-Funk were awarded this year’s Routledge Area Studies Interdisciplinarity Award.
In 2023, German and European authorities expect refugee numbers to rise further. Whether existing attitudes towards refugees in Germany can be changed by positive or negative statements made about their further admission in future is discussed in this Focus Global.
This infographic shows the factors influencing migration decision-making. At the global/national level, factors such as the economy, environment (including climate change), politics, and culture contribute to a person's decision to migrate. These factors affect the individual's adaptive capacity and vulnerability.
This infographic illustrates the (im)mobility trajectories in conflict settings, specifically focusing on Syria. It highlights various regions and the displacement patterns within these conflict zones. Key areas depicted include Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, and surrounding regions.
The violent escalation in most of Syria since 2023 and the continuation of the Assad dictatorship suggest that nowhere in the country is safe. Outlined are the key details to this. Any plans to forcibly return Syrian refugees from Middle Eastern and European countries should therefore be rejected.
For their outstanding article “Mobility Control as State-Making in Civil War: Forcing Exit, Selective Return, and Strategic Laissez-Faire,” published in Migration Politics, Dr. Christiane Fröhlich and Dr. Lea Müller-Funk were awarded this year’s Routledge Area Studies Interdisciplinarity Award.
