The Migration Decisions of Syrian and Ukrainian Refugees as Perceived by Their Receiving Communities

Discussions about refugee status often center around two assumed characteristics of their circumstances. One, that, because they fled their countries to seek safety, their migration decisions lacked choice. And two, that their migration will be temporary, as they may wish to return to their home country after things stabilize. However, it is unclear how these perceptions are related to refugee inclusion. To address this gap, we conducted two studies with members of communities that host refugees from the recent wars in Syria and Ukraine. Participants were surveyed in Lebanon, Jordan, Germany, the Netherlands (Study 1, N = 762), and Poland (Study 2, N = 798). We found that the more residents of receiving communities perceived refugees as deprived of choice over their migration and willing to return to their home country as soon as possible, the more they supported more accommodating policies toward refugees. We also surveyed Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Germany, and the Netherlands (N = 910) about their control over migration and future migration intentions. Their responses suggest that members of host communities may underestimate the sense of control experienced by refugees.