Internal displacement in Syria used to reshape the country’s political and social landscape, new study shows

Internal displacement in Syria was used by the Assad regime to reshape the country’s political and social landscape, a new study shows.

The forceful movement of people was systematically employed alongside indiscriminate violence, the research says.

This was not just a consequence of war, but a strategy to depopulate key areas and repopulate them to create new political and social realities. This tactic extended the impact of displacement beyond the immediate conflict, embedding it as a long-term political tool with lasting post-war consequences.

The study is by Samer Bakkour and Rama Sahtout, from the University of Exeter.

Dr Sahtout said: “The immediate goals of internal displacement were military and concerned with the imperative of confronting well-armed and tenacious opposition fighters in tightly-confined urban spaces. Here, the displacement of the population essentially functioned as a way of separating ‘friend’ and ‘foe’: indiscriminate bombardment and targeting of whole areas compelled civilian movement, and those who remained in the aftermath were presumed to be ‘foes’, irrespective of their age, ethnic identity and/or political loyalties.

“The regime permitted those who fled to enter its territory, on the presumption that this sufficiently illustrated their political loyalty.”

The study highlights how the Syrian regime gradually incorporated displacement into an integrated military-political strategy.

Dr Bakkour said: “Indiscriminate violence inflicted on targeted populations in opposition-controlled areas became an essential part of a strategy that sought to achieve the large-scale removal of resident populations.

“Through this study we hope to underscore the significance of recognizing internal displacement as a political strategy, not just a humanitarian crisis. Addressing displacement-related grievances is essential for any meaningful post-conflict reconciliation process.

“We aim to bring greater awareness to the strategic use of internal displacement and we call on policymakers to engage with it beyond a protection-based approach. Understanding its role in conflict and post-conflict settings is vital to shaping just and lasting stability in post-conflict societies.”