My area of expertise is the ethics of forced displacement. I am particularly interested in theoretical and ethical debates on identifying political communities' duties toward different groups of refugees. Part of my research is related to understanding the moral components in host societies' varying attitudes toward refugees. My research is closely connected with migration theories and global justice perspectives. I value abstract thinking, formulate theoretical models, conduct case studies, and participate in theory-driven experimental research.
Have we (really) done enough? Strengthening “outcome responsibility” in assessing moral duties toward refugees of protracted crises
Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 10 September 2024
Abstract: This article seeks to advance the discussions on our moral obligations towards refugees of protracted crises by proposing a nuanced application of outcome responsibility. Differentiating causal and outcome responsibility through intention, involvement, and side-taking principles has both symbolic and practical significance in assigning reparative and remedial duties. The framework utilizes domestic analogies to help explain the refined version of these two responsibility types. It examines the Syrian crisis within this paradigm to offer a clearer understanding of the actors that are ‘morally obligated and more likely’ to help. This argument addresses political communities instead of their states, emphasizing their pivotal role as bearers of the consequences of state decisions. Employing an outcome responsibility-based sense of ethical duty (ORSED) can foster more inclusive and welcoming environments, mitigating resentment regardless of border controls or burden allocation.
Electoral Behavior toward Refugee Integration Policies in Protracted Crises: Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment in Turkey
(With Yunus Emre Orhan)
Abstract: Recent research on attitudes toward refugees shows that humanitarian concerns can outweigh material and sociopolitical considerations, particularly in culturally proximate contexts. However, we still know little about whether these patterns extend to support for concrete integration policies, or whether distinct ethical reasoning (i.e., humanitarianism, deservedness, and ORSED) generates heterogeneous support. Using a pre-registered survey in Turkey (N=2,487), we address both gaps by testing how voters respond to candidates’ pro and anti-refugee policy positions. Echoing the conventional wisdom on attitudes toward refugees, we find that candidates endorsing restrictive policies are likely to receive more support, particularly within the political and economic domains. However, our findings weaken the case for humanitarian concerns as critical drivers of pro-refugee attitudes. Although ethical positions may foster ambivalence toward exclusionary candidates, we find no evidence that they could translate into support for inclusive, long-term refugee policies, even in culturally proximate contexts. Finally, we find limited evidence of systematic heterogeneity across ethical positions. However, conditioning ethical position on refugee contact reveals a meaningful pattern, suggesting that the political sustainability of refugee integration policies could depend less on generalized moral support and more on how and which ethical reasoning is activated within specific decision contexts.
Beyond Numbers: A Communitarian Approach to the Moral Duty of Resettling Protracted Refugees
Abstract: How should we understand our moral duties toward protracted refugees in a non-ideal world - where perpetrators of injustice go unpunished, and the burden of care falls on others? Existing responsibility-sharing models remain inadequate in part because they overlook a crucial dimension: what refugees mean to host communities. A communitarian lens recognizes that these meanings are constructed and context-dependent, reveals that different communities perceive different refugees differently, and argues that the stronger the perceived connection, the greater the corresponding moral obligations should be. This article develops a communitarian approach to resettling protracted refugees grounded in a revised conception of “outcome responsibility” and the moral significance of social connections. To illustrate how this framework can identify additional duties for specific communities, I examine a hypothetical scenario in which Israel permanently occupies Palestinian territories and expels their inhabitants. Even in the absence of such a scenario, I argue that this approach offers a compelling moral framework for understanding the responsibilities owed to the currently protracted Palestinian refugees. Ultimately, the article proposes a communitarian model for assessing differentiated moral obligations in protracted refugee crises.