Syrian refugee labour and food insecurity in Middle Eastern agriculture during the early COVID-19 pandemic

Ann-Christin Zuntz; Mackenzie Klema; Shaher Abdullateef; Stella Mazeri; Salim Faisal Alnabolsi; Abdulellah  Alfadel; Joy Abi-habib; Maria Azar; Clara Calia; Joseph Burke; Liz Grant; Lisa Boden

doi:10.1111/ilr.12348

Syrian refugee labour and food insecurity in Middle Eastern agriculture during the early COVID-19 pandemic

Ann-Christin Zuntz^*, Mackenzie Klema, Shaher Abdullateef, Stella Mazeri, Salim Faisal Alnabolsi, Abdulellah Alfadel, Joy Abi-habib, Maria Azar, Clara Calia, Joseph Burke, Liz Grant, Lisa Boden

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic data from the 2019 SyrianFoodFutures and 2020 From the FIELD projects, this article provides insights into the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugee labour in agriculture in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. In spring 2020, movement restrictions and supply chain disruptions caused displaced Syrian farmworkers to lose their jobs and experience increased food insecurity. We situate our findings in the context of host countries’ use of legal ambiguity for governing refugees, Middle Eastern agriculture’s reliance on migrant labour, and the region’s longstanding food insecurity. We conclude that formalising refugee labour is not enough to address exploitation.

Original language	English
Journal	International Labour Review
Early online date	22 Dec 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ilr.12348
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 22 Dec 2021

Keywords

refugee labour
Middle East
food insecurity
agriculture
legal ambiguity

Access to Document

10.1111/ilr.12348

Embargoed Document

ZuntzEtal2022ILRSyrianRefugeeLabour
Accepted author manuscript, 610 KB
Embargo ends: 22/06/23

1 Article

Trabajo agrícola e inseguridad alimentaria de la población siria refugiada en Oriente Medio durante la primera ola de COVID-19
Zuntz, A-C., Klema, Abdullateef, S., Alnabolsi, S. F., Alfadel, A., Abi-habib, J., Azar, M., Calia, C., Burke, J., Grant, L. & Boden, L., Jun 2022, In: International Labour Review (ILR). 141, p. 271-295
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Cite this

@article{1b47c92db016459b950d2ecd08ba1308,

title = "Syrian refugee labour and food insecurity in Middle Eastern agriculture during the early COVID-19 pandemic",

abstract = "Drawing on ethnographic data from the 2019 SyrianFoodFutures and 2020 From the FIELD projects, this article provides insights into the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugee labour in agriculture in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. In spring 2020, movement restrictions and supply chain disruptions caused displaced Syrian farmworkers to lose their jobs and experience increased food insecurity. We situate our findings in the context of host countries{\textquoteright} use of legal ambiguity for governing refugees, Middle Eastern agriculture{\textquoteright}s reliance on migrant labour, and the region{\textquoteright}s longstanding food insecurity. We conclude that formalising refugee labour is not enough to address exploitation.",

keywords = "refugee labour, Middle East, food insecurity, agriculture, legal ambiguity",

author = "Ann-Christin Zuntz and Mackenzie Klema and Shaher Abdullateef and Stella Mazeri and Alnabolsi, {Salim Faisal} and Abdulellah Alfadel and Joy Abi-habib and Maria Azar and Clara Calia and Joseph Burke and Liz Grant and Lisa Boden",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1111/ilr.12348",

language = "English",

journal = "International Labour Review",

issn = "0020-7780",

publisher = "International Labour Office",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Syrian refugee labour and food insecurity in Middle Eastern agriculture during the early COVID-19 pandemic

AU - Zuntz, Ann-Christin

AU - Klema, Mackenzie

AU - Abdullateef, Shaher

AU - Mazeri, Stella

AU - Alnabolsi, Salim Faisal

AU - Alfadel, Abdulellah

AU - Abi-habib, Joy

AU - Azar, Maria

AU - Calia, Clara

AU - Burke, Joseph

AU - Grant, Liz

AU - Boden, Lisa

PY - 2021/12/22

Y1 - 2021/12/22

N2 - Drawing on ethnographic data from the 2019 SyrianFoodFutures and 2020 From the FIELD projects, this article provides insights into the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugee labour in agriculture in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. In spring 2020, movement restrictions and supply chain disruptions caused displaced Syrian farmworkers to lose their jobs and experience increased food insecurity. We situate our findings in the context of host countries’ use of legal ambiguity for governing refugees, Middle Eastern agriculture’s reliance on migrant labour, and the region’s longstanding food insecurity. We conclude that formalising refugee labour is not enough to address exploitation.

AB - Drawing on ethnographic data from the 2019 SyrianFoodFutures and 2020 From the FIELD projects, this article provides insights into the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugee labour in agriculture in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. In spring 2020, movement restrictions and supply chain disruptions caused displaced Syrian farmworkers to lose their jobs and experience increased food insecurity. We situate our findings in the context of host countries’ use of legal ambiguity for governing refugees, Middle Eastern agriculture’s reliance on migrant labour, and the region’s longstanding food insecurity. We conclude that formalising refugee labour is not enough to address exploitation.

KW - refugee labour

KW - Middle East

KW - food insecurity

KW - agriculture

KW - legal ambiguity

U2 - 10.1111/ilr.12348

DO - 10.1111/ilr.12348

M3 - Article

JO - International Labour Review

JF - International Labour Review

SN - 0020-7780

ER -

Syrian refugee labour and food insecurity in Middle Eastern agriculture during the early COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Embargoed Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Trabajo agrícola e inseguridad alimentaria de la población siria refugiada en Oriente Medio durante la primera ola de COVID-19

Cite this