Who’s Deserving? How People Experiencing Displacement View Migrant Identity and Asylum Policy

Do people who migrate due to crises identify with other refugees and migrant groups? In this paper, we examine whether the process of migration leads to a shared identity as a “migrant” or “refugee,” or whether individuals still identify mostly in terms of their home country or ethnicity. We argue that how individuals identify matters for their views on migration policy. If individuals see themselves as part of a larger migrant group, they may be more likely to support policies benefiting all migrants. However, if they do not, they are more likely to support policies that only benefit their group. We interviewed Syrians (N=819) and Iraqis (N=226) living in Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, as well as Venezuelans (N=1612) living in Colombia. We also conducted six focus groups (N=36) and community leader interviews (N=8) with Syrians living in Istanbul, Turkey. Our study is unique in that we are able to make multiple comparisons: across displacement contexts, and between those who are legally categorized by the international community as “refugees” (Syrians and Iraqis) and those who do not fall under this legal category (Venezuelans). Using both observational questions and a conjoint experiment, we do not find that the process of migration leads to greater identification with other migrants. This has downstream consequences: individuals favor their co-nationals and people who are experiencing similar crises for priority entrance and do not favor more open borders.