On Thursday, February 23, 2017, the Middle East Center at the Jackson School of International Studies hosted a roundtable discussion on the topic of migrations within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The event addressed the fact that the vast majority of Middle East migrations, including the current refugee crisis, take place within the region, with most displaced peoples seeking refuge in camps at the borderlands. Moreover, not all migration within the MENA consists of refugee movements, but also labor migrations.
Featuring regional experts, this panel discussion provided background and context on major currents in Middle East migrations from historical, demographic, anthropological, and practitioner perspectives. The roundtable was moderated by Arzoo Osanloo, who is an Associate Professor in the Law, Societies & Justice department and the Director of the Middle East Center at the University of Washington-Seattle.
The discussion featured the following presentations:
Migratory Histories: Case Studies of the Armenians, Palestinians, and Egyptians
Nova Robinson, Assistant Professor, International Studies and History, Seattle University
Labor Migration and the Future of Urban Development: A Regional View
Ali Modarres, Director and Professor, Urban Studies, University of Washington-Tacoma
The Journey to Arabia: An Ethnographic Portrait of Migration in the Indian Ocean World
Andrew Gardner, Professor, Anthropology, University of Puget Sound
Impelled Migration in the Middle East
Rita Zawaideh, Seattle Activist & Humanitarian; Owner, Caravan-Serai Tours; and CEO of SCM Medical/Humanitarian Missions