De la campagne syrienne aux villes jordaniennes. Un réseau marchand transfrontalier à l'épreuve du conflit syrien

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the consequences of an armed conflict on the functioning of a cross-border merchant and migratory network. It is based on a longitudinal study of the mobility of the inhabitants of Deir Mqaren, a village located in the Wadi Barada region of Syria. The approach is to discuss the distinction between voluntary and forced migration in a region where cross-border mobility has existed for decades. By focusing on the conditions of individuals’ movements, our aim is to analyze the process of polarization of migratory flows between Syria and Jordan. This shows the evolution of the mechanisms allowing refugees to circulate within a cross-border area despite a coercive mobility regime. This article focuses on the actors’ point of view. Here, we intend take a different stance from that of the institutional paradigm, instead highlighting refugees' status as free agents, despite the structural constraints with which they are constantly confronted.

Keywords

• refugees
• migrations
• networks
• transnational trade
• circulations
• borders