Introduction
The concepts of integration have various definitions in the academic and political arenas based on the socio-political structures and development levels of target countries. When tension and potential conflict between refugees1 and host community members are prevalent, integration becomes a critical topic for international organizations and governmental institutions. These actors, among many others, are in search of comprehensive methods to understand problems and handle challenges between different communities. Integration-related problems are frequently analyzed and explained with reference to the ethnic, linguistic, and religious dynamics of diverse communities. Such socio-cultural dynamics, together with economic factors, are considered key factors of integration.2 Nationalist sentiments, language barriers, and intolerance of other beliefs have a great negative influence on the level of integration between refugees and host communities. However, this study aims to emphasize other dynamics that have been case-specific, with a special focus on the historical background of the refugee movement from Iraq to Syria.3
In the social sciences, specifically within the disciplines of sociology, history, and politics, experimentation is not possible. To overcome this problem, diverse case studies and comparisons are used to analyze the effects of different conditions. To study integration with specific attention to case-specific factors, this article elaborates on Iraqi refugees in Syria, who share the same language, religious, and ethnic identities with the host community in Syria. However, these common key factors are not sufficient to assure integration. Therefor
