Conceptualizing the Syrian Refugee Crisis and Migration during Armed Conflict

Abstract

Syrian migration following the start of the armed conflict is often called a crisis. This is due to the millions of Syrians who left in only a few years, but also to the fact that such a large stream of refugees and asylum seekers was largely unexpected and there was consequently little preparation in countries of reception. In this chapter, we identify gaps in the academic literature and identify the social scientific and demographic tools that can help to address the key questions of migration during armed conflict-how many, who, when, and where. The purpose of this chapter is to lay the groundwork for helping the reader understand and gain as much as possible from the rest of this volume.