International Migration and Political Turmoil in the Middle East

Political turmoil international relations and international migration have been inextricably linked in the Middle East for centuries. In recent decades immigrant labor was recruited to exploit oil resources and to work in social and physical infrastructure projects. A massive influx of labor was witnessed with the oil price increase in 1973 and the relaxation of stringent in-migration policy. Middle Eastern migration however rarely merited international political attention until Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. The author draws upon documentary evidence and interviews with well-informed observers and involved individuals to examine the role of the recent Gulf War in making international migration in that region a key issue in international relations. She reviews the major trends in migration to Kuwait and Iraq from the onset of the oil boom to the eve of Iraqs invasion and discusses the massive population movements which occurred between mid-1990 and mid-1991 and their role in international relations. She also comments on the failure of demographers to inform policymakers about the brewing situation and speculates on reasons for their inaction. Concluding thoughts are given on the future of international migration to the Gulf and what demographers might contribute to the better understanding of expected trends.