Population movements in the aftermath of the Arab awakening : the Syrian refugee crisis between regional factors and state interest

Abstract

The awakening of several Arab countries on the southern and eastern rims of the Mediterranean in the winter 2010-2011 raised concerns, particularly in European countries, about the migration flows it could engender. It was considered that political instability and the ensuing economic slowdown would be at the origin of large migration flows. A senior political figure in the European Union (EU) warned of migration flows of “Biblical dimensions”. The fact is that, despite some initial movements of contained magnitude in the spring 2011, the large flows did not materialize. In the largest country on the southern rim, Egypt, repeated surveys among young Egyptians indicated the desire to migrate did not increase in the two years of political changes that followed the breakout of the Arab Awakening.