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A Study on the Dynamics of Arab Expatriate Communities A study on the Dynamics of Arab Expatriate Communities: Promoting Positive Contributions to Socioeconomic Development and Political Transitions in their Homelands One of the main objectives of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Arab Expatriates Department) is to encourage the Arab Expatriates to participate in the development process in the Arab world, which requires studying the conditions and characteristics of Arab expatriates in countries of residence. This study is considered as an implementation of the mentioned objective and of the declaration of the first conference of Arab Expatriates, which was held in December 2012. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is committed to the principle that humane and- or derly migration benefits migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through mi- gration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. This collection of papers has been a cooperative endeavor between IOM and the Arab Expatriates Department of the League of Arab States (LAS). The material presented herein may be used for information purposes only. The opinions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International -Or ganization for Migration (IOM) or the League of Arab States (LAS). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM or LAS concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. Publishers: International Organization for Migration 47C, Abou El Feda St. Zamalek Cairo Egypt Tel: +20 227 365 140 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://www.iom.int Arab Expatriates Department League of Arab States Tahrir Square Cairo 11642 Tel: +20 225 776 977 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.arabexpatriates.org ____________________________________________________ © 2012 International Organization for Migration (IOM) and League of Arab States (LAS) _____________________________________________________ All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans- mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. A study on the Dynamics of Arab Expatriate Communities: Promoting Positive Contributions to Socioeconomic Development and Political Transitions in their Homelands Editorial Team League of Arab States (LAS) Samiha Mohey Eldine Enas El Fergany Lobna Azzam Ayman Zohry International Organization of Migration (IOM) Harry Cook Mathieu Luciano Michael Newson Ginette Kidd The views, findings, data, interpretation and conditions expressed in the report are those of the au- thors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the League of Arab States (LAS) or International Organ- ization for Migration (IOM). Articles written by members of the editorial team are written in a personal capacity and do not necessarily represent the opinions and positions of the members of the editorial teams, nor the League of Arab States (LAS) or International Organization for Migration (IOM). 4 Foreword In a region which includes countries that have some of the highest labour export and import rates in the world, migration and development have been ever more closely interlinked in recent decades. Financial remittances constitute a significant proportion of the GDP of export countries and an even greater pro- portion of their foreign currency earnings. Migration has served to alleviate the pressure on domestic labour markets, providing opportunities for work as well as training and education. It has also served as a mechanism for the transfer of ideas, knowledge and culture. The region now has many vibrant expatriate communities around the world who contribute to their countries of origin in myriad ways. Some of these are obvious and well-documented, others have yet to be investigated or are entirely immeasurable. There are still more expatriates who desire to do more but lack the appropriate knowledge or infrastructure to become engaged. The study was a joint project between the Arab Expatriates Department of League of Arab States (LAS) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). It followed on from the results of the First Arab Expatriates Conference, organized by the LAS General Secretariat in December 2010. The declaration of the conference included among its recommendations inviting the Arab League to carry out “in-depth studies on the social, cultural, economic, and political conditions of Arab expatriate communities in -var ious countries of residence.” This collection represents a first step in meeting those objectives ahead of the Second Arab Expatriates Conference. As well as the contribution that this collection makes to academia, the analyses and recommendations put forward serve as a foundation for future work which aims to realize the developmental potential of expatriate communities. Such communities, mobilized by the unique bonds they have with their home countries and their desire to see those countries enjoy socio-economic growth, may be one of the most important driving forces in development in the 21st century. It is also our sincere hope that, amidst the positive social and economic transformations taking place in the Middle East and North Africa, the continued cooperation between the League of Arab States (LAS) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will help to facilitate and encourage international efforts that allow the region to reap the developmental benefits of migration. Pasquale Lupoli Samiha Mohey Eldine Regional Director for the Middle East and Director of the Department of Arab Expatri- North Africa, International Organization for ates, League of Arab States (LAS) Migration (IOM) 5 Index Foreword ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter One ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Egyptian Migrants in Germany and the Assistance of Development Efforts in Egypt Moursi, Mostafa Abdel -Aziz Chapter Two ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................21 The Participation of Migrant Women in the Socio-economic Development Scene in Two Maghreb Coun- tries: Social Reading of Status and Roles Et-Tayeb, Aicha Chapter Three .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................41 Egyptian Migrants in the United Kingdom: A Reading After the 25th of January Revolution Fawzy, Sameh Chapter Four .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................55 Democratization After Iraq: Expatriate Perspectives on British Policy Collaboration Holman, Zoe Chapter Five ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................71 How do Political Changes in the Country of Origin Affect Transnational Behaviours of Migrants? The Case of Egyptians in Turin During and After the Arab Spring Premazzi,
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