Weaponization of refugees: Why now?

AbstractThe limited studies that focus on the weaponization of refugees typically emphasize how liberal democracies and states with restricted carrying capacity are vulnerable to this tactic. The declining number of liberal democracies globally, the Russian-Ukraine War demonstrating states' true carrying capacities, and the tactic's increasing prevalence, however, necessitate a closer examination of their causes. Technological and ideological developments, along with developments in warfare as a result of these changes, mean that the weaponization of refugees is likely to increase, not decrease, in the foreseeable future. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 "Plane Carrying Belarusian Opposition Figure Ordered to Divert to Minsk by President Alexander Lukashenko," The ABC, May 23, 2021, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-24/plane-carrying-opposition-figure-diverted-to-belarus/100159524. Accessed November 22, 2022.2…