Honors Theses

Date of Award

5-9-2019

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Croft Institute for International Studies

First Advisor

Ashleen Williams

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Jordan has the second highest number of refugees in the world per capita next to Lebanon and relies very heavily on aid from the global community, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the European Union (EU). Furthermore, they lack a legal framework regarding the high amount of refugees that inhabit the country. This raises the question: What are the drivers of Jordanian refugee policy? I argue that the drivers of Jordan’s current refugee policies are their internal pressures, which are Jordan’s ongoing water crisis, unemployment, and education, as well as external funding that comes from their reliance on the UNHCR and allies, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Using a qualitative approach, I explored Jordan’s main points of concern, regarding their security and the wellbeing of its inhabitants. My data consists of global policies created by the UNHCR and other entities in collaboration with Jordan; the United States and the United Kingdom government websites; and the UNHCR and EU websites. Through my research, I discover that external pressures, border security and international aid (monetary and humanitarian) are directly related to these internal pressures, as they directly affect Jordan’s national security and foreign relations. Furthermore, by not having a national refugee policy, Jordan is internationalizing the crisis, providing a gateway for assistance from the rest of the world.

Comments

A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for completion of the Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the Croft Institute for International Studies and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

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