The Im/mobilities of Iraqi Refugees in Jordan: Pan-Arabism, 'Hospitality' and the Figure of the 'Refugee'

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of Iraqi refugees in Jordan through the lens of their motility. In doing so, it demonstrates that the motility of Iraqis is largely shaped by pan-Arab ideologies concerning 'hospitality' and the politics surrounding the category of the 'refugee' in Jordan. The intersection of these factors have meant that Iraqis occupy an ambiguous and precarious socio-legal position in Jordan and the populist view in the Kingdom regards them as a politically and socially problematic demographic. Processes demonizing Iraqis in Jordan, however, also reflect wider global processes that have pathologised and criminalised - and in the process im-mobilised - the figure of the refugee. Show more