Abdelaaty examines disparities in refugee treatment
In her new book “Discrimination
and Delegation: Explaining State Responses to Refugees”(Oxford
University Press), Syracuse political science professor Lamis Abdelaaty
examines the factors that shape states’ responses to refugees. She asks
important questions about why some states welcome refugees while others exclude
them, and why some states cede control of the asylum process and refugee camps
to the United Nations.
These outcomes are enormously
consequential for refugees, who might be protected or barred outright from
entry into a state’s territory. Refugees might be admitted and afforded
opportunities to seek employment, access healthcare and pursue education; or they
might be barred, detained and denied the opportunity to lead a safe and
dignified life.
Abdelaaty argues that
policymakers in refugee-receiving countries welcome refugees who are ethnic kin
fleeing rival states and shun refugees who are ethnic others fleeing friendly
states. When a policymaker faces conflicting incentives, they will outsource
refugee affairs and thereby “shift the blame” to the United Nations. Using a
diverse array of methods including global statistics, interviews and archival
research about Egypt and Turkey, and content analysis of Kenyan parliament
proceedings, Abdelaaty reveals the complex dimensions of refugee policy as it
relates to state sovereignty and human rights.
Lamis Abdelaaty is an assistant professor
of political science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Her research interests include international relations, migration and human
rights. Abdelaaty has earned several external and internal awards, grants and
fellowships, including from the National Science Foundation and the American
Philosophical Society.
To learn more about Abdelaaty’s
forthcoming book, please see the publisher’s website.
12/26/20