Chapter 5
The economic adaptation
How have the Palestinian refugees adapted economically in the communities
where they live? By economic adaptation we here mean the way the refugees
cope with the economic challenges in the state they reside in. Two factors
must be analysed in this context: The resources refugees had with them at
the time of their flight, and the new economic conditions in the countries
where they were to reside. As we have shown, the Palestinians do not constitute
a homogenous economic group. Different segments had very unequal economic
resources, which they brought with them into the state of Diaspora, thus
leaving the refugees with different starting points.
Beside being linked to their socio-economic background, the economic adaptation
is closely connected to the new economic conditions in the different types
of communities which the refugees have become part of; a camp, a neighbourhood,
a region, a country. Economically, the setting in the society where Palestinians
settled is a frame of both limits and possibilities. The state's regulations
often limit the economic prospects of refugees. At the same time, the high
mobility and a wide network of contacts across national borders, primarily
through relatives, have enabled Palestinians to adopt certain strategies
that enhance their economic possibilities.
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