Case Studies: Forced Migration (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Jacque Cartwright
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Case Study: Syria
The Syrian civil war has created the biggest displacement and refugee crisis in recent times
It has affected millions of people and surrounding countries
More than half of Syria's population has been displaced from their homes by the war
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering:
Lebanon to the southwest
The Mediterranean Sea to the west
Turkey to the north
Iraq to the east
Jordan to the south
Israel to the southwest
Position of Syria
Cause of the migration
The Syrian crisis is an ongoing armed conflict (now in its 12th year -2023) between forces of the government and those opposing them
In March 2011, peaceful protests started. They were in response to widespread corruption, lack of political freedom, and high levels of unemployment
President Bashar al-Assad’s government used deadly force to crush the protests. The unrest quickly escalated nationwide into a civil war
People were forced to leave their homes and migrate to other parts of Syria (displaced) or move to another country as a refugee
The Syrian conflict has led to more than 500,000 deaths and displaced an estimated 13.3 million—over half of Syria's pre-war population
6.7 million people are internally displaced with 5.5 million Syrian refugees living in the five countries that neighbour Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt
Neighbouring Türkiye hosts over 3.6 million refugees - this is the largest refugee population hosted by a single country worldwide
Germany is the largest non-neighbouring host country with more than 522,500 Syrian refugees
Number of Syrian refugees in closest neighbouring countries
Impacts on Syria
Social impact:
Loss of life - the conflict has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people
Many have lost their home, possessions, jobs and are separated from family members
Children have been exposed to violence, loss of families, homes, possessions and everything they once knew
In Syria, more than 2 million children are out of school and 1.6 million children are at risk of dropping out
Girls are often made to marry young
Displacement - millions of Syrians have been forced from their communities, leading to a humanitarian crisis, with many people struggling to access life-saving essentials like food, water, and healthcare
Economic impact:
Businesses and industries have been damaged or disrupted and this has increased an already high unemployment rate adding to widespread poverty
Destroyed infrastructure - conflict has destroyed and damaged the country's roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and homes, preventing people from accessing essential services
Environmental impact:
Land is flattened by bombing making it difficult to cultivate crops
Wildlife and ecosystems are destroyed
Water is limited, unavailable or polluted
Impacts on Jordan
The Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan is 10 km from the Syrian border and is home to 80,000 people
It remains the largest refugee camp in the Middle East and one of the largest in the world
Over 20,000 births have been recorded in Zaatari refugee camp
Jordan is the second most water-scarce country in the world
Water is a precious resource in the camp and does not meet daily needs, particularly in the summer when temperatures soar to over 30°C
Many people live in tents and sanitation is limited, with overflowing toilets and raw sewage seeping into the surrounding areas
Many Syrian refugees have fled the camp into urban areas
They cannot receive aid from the United Nations or other donors, putting a huge strain on public resources in Jordan
Food is expensive, rents have tripled in some cases and competition for jobs has driven wages down
This has created tensions within the native communities
Impacts on Lebanon
There is an overwhelming burden on infrastructure, society and the economy
Most refugees live in poverty and child labour is common
Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world
Impacts on Türkiye
Syrian refugees mostly initially settled in refugee camps in South-eastern Türkiye
In 2016, Syrian refugees were allowed work permits and they became more dispersed geographically
Since then a total of 1599 new companies have been started by Syrian refugees
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You may be asked to either explain the causes/reasons for forced migration or analyse/outline the impacts of forced migration. Therefore, it is important that you have facts and figures and recent examples of forced migration to hand.
Case Study: Nigeria
Political insecurity
The district of Borno in northern Nigeria was a significant agricultural trading hub with abundant natural resources in demand by industry and commercial purposes such as iron ore, clay, silica sand and uranium
However, in 2014, the Boko Haram group kidnapped 276 Christian school girls from Chibok, Borno
The group is known for its extreme violence, indoctrination, forced marriage and views
Its main aim is to establish an Islamic State under Shariah law
Boko Haram is against westernisation and its influence on Nigeria's culture of corruption, which has created a gap between the 'few rich and the many poor'
3 years later (2017), 82 schoolgirls were released in exchange for 5 Boko Haram leaders, leaving over 100 girls still captive
Some of the girls had been made to carry suicide bombs and explode them in busy areas
As a result, over 2.2 million have been forced to flee the area
What was initially seen as a ‘Nigerian problem’ has moved across borders into northern Cameroon, western Chad, south-eastern Niger
This has impacted the ability of people in the region to feed themselves as less land is being farmed
33% of healthcare facilities have been closed, with health workers being abducted and killed
People in the region have suffered losses such as homes, family and lack access to fresh water and services
Infrastructure has been damaged and major power lines have been destroyed resulting in lack of power particularly in the villages
International recognition of the kidnapping had the unintentional consequence of making the girls more valuable to Boko Haram
Map showing Borno district, Nigeria
Environmental impacts
Many people have taken refuge in formal and informal camps and the government and aid agencies struggle to provide basic health and education services
This has caused chronic poverty, water stress and food insecurity
In August 2022, Borno State authorities closed eight camps, forcing many displaced people into further poverty and struggling to eat, meet basic needs, obtain shelter or suitable security
Support that was provided was too little to rebuild lives or homes elsewhere, forcing many to return home and into continued danger
Fuel is costly and charcoal has become the alternative energy used in Borno, resulting in mass deforestation and increased costs of buying charcoal for remaining residents
There has been a rise of civilian vigilante self-defence groups to protect land and homes
Outside of the region, a further 540,000 people have been internally displaced due to severe floods which washed away crops and livestock, forcing more people to leave the area
Overall, the impact of the Boko Haram has been economic and political by creating a state of insecurity in northern Nigeria
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