Who are the refugees?: A demographic analysis

Abstract

© 2019 Taylor & Francis. This chapter explores the migrant crisis in order to describe the situation as well as the motivations of those individuals who migrate. It shows that the “perfect storm” for mass migrations, with multiple factors converging both from the territory of origin and the final destination. The chapter describes the basic demographics of the recent migrant crisis, attempting to understand who the migrants are and what they desire to achieve. The type of political regime, threats to the personal integrity of the individual, dissident violence, civil/ethnic warfare, and external conflicts were also found to be important factors. Thus, for many refugees it appears that economic factors and violence influence each other, creating a strong “push” for migration. Lebanon is the first state on a list of countries that have a significant refugee-to-national population ratio, with nearly one in five residents being a refugee.