Securitised humanitarianism and the partial securitisation of Syrian refugees in Jordan
Abstract
The protracted Syrian conflict is one of the largest displacement crises in recent history, worldwide, forcing Jordan to accommodate a large number of refugees under conditions of regional insecurity and economic strain. This study employs the Copenhagen Securitisation theory as a theoretical framework and examines how the Syrian refugee crisis has been partially securitised in Jordan, as well as how securitisation narratives are constructed, institutionalised, and received by different audiences. Adopting a convergent mixed-methods design, the study combines qualitative interviews with security actors, media representatives, government officials and humanitarian organisations with a quantitative survey of Syrian refugees and Jordanian citizens (n = 100). The qualitative findings demonstrate that political and security elites frame refugees primarily as social, economic and security threats, legitimising extraordinary measures such as biometric registration, border restrictions and camp securitisation. Quantitative results reveal selective audience acceptance, with social and economic threat framings resonating more strongly than terrorism-related narratives. This divergence highlights the contingent and negotiated nature of securitisation, rather than its automatic success. The study concludes that Jordan’s refugee governance reflects a hybrid model of securitised humanitarianism, in which restrictive security practices coexist with humanitarian commitments and donor-driven assistance. By integrating elite discourse with public perception, the research contributes to securitisation theory by demonstrating how partial audience acceptance can sustain security-oriented policies without full societal consensus.
Keywords: Humanitarian, Jordan, national security, securitisation, state response, Syrian refugees
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