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The Role of Government Legitimacy and Trust in Managing Refugee Crises: The Case of Kobani
Author(s) -
Demiroz Fatih,
Unlu Ali
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
risk, hazards and crisis in public policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.634
H-Index - 8
ISSN - 1944-4079
DOI - 10.1002/rhc3.12143
Subject(s) - refugee , legitimacy , government (linguistics) , political science , turkish , politics , economic growth , focus group , civil society , public administration , public relations , development economics , sociology , law , economics , philosophy , linguistics , anthropology
The civil war in Syria caused millions of people to become refugees in neighboring countries and Europe. Government capacity and the availability of resources are crucial for managing a refugee crisis effectively; however, they may not be sufficient in all circumstances. There must be a healthy relationship between the host government and refugees for government agencies to control the refugees and manage their needs. Government legitimacy and trust are crucial for refugee compliance with government policies. This article examines the case of refugees from Kobani in Turkey and provides evidence for understanding the role of government legitimacy in managing a refugee crisis. The data for this article were collected through qualitative interviews and focus groups with government officials and refugees. Two important factors shaped the refugees’ perceptions of the Turkish government. First, ethnic conflict and the political circumstances in Turkey shaped some refugees’ opinions of the Turkish government. Second, some refugees embraced their host community's perceptions of the Turkish government. The findings from this research have important political implications. Countries experiencing ethnic, religious, or racial conflicts are likely to face challenges regarding refugee compliance with government policies.