The potential for militarization of internally displaced persons within Syria

The document argues that internally displaced persons in Syria are extraordinarily vulnerable to recruitment by both state and non-state armed actors. It highlights a critical gap in international attention and data regarding IDP mobilization compared to refugee militarization. The authors identify four key factors driving this risk: recruitment processes, the use of humanitarian resources, security vulnerabilities, and socialization through ideological education. Specifically, the Islamic State (IS) is noted for using religious emissaries and controlling school curricula to recruit and indoctrinate displaced populations.

• By the beginning of 2016, approximately 6.6 million people were internally displaced in Syria, representing 40% of the population remaining in the country.
• The Syrian government utilizes its administrative apparatus and intelligence to identify and recruit displaced persons in areas under its control, treating them as a pool for military personnel.
• The Islamic State (IS) employs a strategy of establishing Dawa centres and religious emissaries to make inroads into new areas, which are subsequently followed by recruitment offices and military training.
• The Islamic State (IS) actively controls the educational system in its territories, imposing new curricula and ideological training on teachers and students, with little to no option for displaced persons to opt out.
• Other armed groups, including those associated with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), also utilize the education system to impose specific curricula and provide military training to pupils.
• There is a significant lack of international attention and empirical data regarding the militarization of IDPs, partly due to fears that acknowledging the link between displacement and militancy might undermine humanitarian norms.

APA

Harpviken, K. B., & Yogev, B. O. (2016). The potential for militarization of internally displaced persons within Syria. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3e82ffed-70be-44c6-835d-408e63e30aa6/Syrias Internally Displaced and the Risk of Militarization.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Harpviken, Kristian Berg, and Benjamin Onne Yogev. The potential for militarization of internally displaced persons within Syria. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2016. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3e82ffed-70be-44c6-835d-408e63e30aa6/Syrias Internally Displaced and the Risk of Militarization.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harpviken |first1=Kristian Berg |last2=Yogev |first2=Benjamin Onne |title=The potential for militarization of internally displaced persons within Syria |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2016 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3e82ffed-70be-44c6-835d-408e63e30aa6/Syrias Internally Displaced and the Risk of Militarization.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harpviken2016potential, author = {Harpviken, Kristian Berg and Yogev, Benjamin Onne}, title = {{The potential for militarization of internally displaced persons within Syria}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2016}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3e82ffed-70be-44c6-835d-408e63e30aa6/Syrias Internally Displaced and the Risk of Militarization.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }