Refugee situations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are increasingly protracted, with displacement often lasting decades. As the prospect of return becomes unlikely, displaced populations face evolving challenges beyond immediate aid, including access to livelihoods, housing, education, health care, and legal protections — areas where humanitarian systems are not always equipped to operate effectively. Funding gaps and the short-term nature of humanitarian structures further exacerbate the difficulties of long-term displacement.

This series of policy briefs draws on research from scholars across the region to explore political, social, and economic barriers to integration, durable solutions, and complementary pathways, as well as the structures of aid that shape outcomes for displaced populations. Contributors examine local integration strategies, selective citizenship, refugee return and property restitution, and the dynamics of international funding and “vulnerability diplomacy,” highlighting context-sensitive approaches that can improve resilience and support displaced communities.

The series was developed from the “Addressing Protracted Displacement in the MENA” workshop hosted at Koç University’s Migration Research Center (MiReKoc) in October 2025.

Read the series