Title: State, economy and Palestinian migrants in Jordan

Authors: Nur Köprülü

Addresses: Department of International Relations, Cyprus International University, Haspolat/Nicosia, Via Mersin 10, Turkey

Abstract: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is regarded as a semi-rentier state where the enormous amount of its national income derives from worker remittances and external donations. Migration to, from, and across Jordan, since the Palestinian exodus of 1948, has played a key role in shaping the country's politics of identity as well as economic relations. In addition, Jordan's policies of labour migration and refugees have been largely determined by the political and socio-economic aspects of regime survival strategy of the Kingdom. Viewed from the macro-level of analysis, Jordan offers a case in the Middle East with its unique demographic structure due to the influx of Palestinian migrants after 1948 to 1949 and 1967 Arab-Israeli wars. This paper therefore, aimed to explore the implications of state policies and regulations, and regional dynamics shaping and restricting the inclusion and career opportunities of skilled Palestinian migrants residing in Jordan at the macro-level. Based upon the 'attainted' statistics this study will examine Jordan's measures implemented since the first exodus in 1948 till present.

Keywords: Palestinian migrants; Jordanian Jordanians; state policies; rentier economy; political-economic cleavage; Jordan; immigration; Palestine; regional dynamics; career opportunities; skilled migrants; labour migration; refugees.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2012.047085

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2012 Vol.8 No.4, pp.520 - 529

Published online: 14 Aug 2014 *

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