Programme Manager, Middle East and North Africa
Middle East; human rights; refugees; humanitarian issues
Italian, English, French
Kelly Petillo is the programme manager for Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations, focusing on refugee, humanitarian and human rights issues. Her publications include From aid to inclusion: A better way to help Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Petillo’s experience stems from roles at various human rights and humanitarian INGOs and UN agencies in Europe and the Middle East, including Crisis Action, the International Crisis Group and the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA). In the past, Kelly carried out research on the impact of the war in Syria on Palestinian refugees since its outbreak in 2011. She also spent time in Lebanon, where she helped convening youth-led events to promote the rights of refugees and migrant workers in the country.
A rise in right-wing agendas in European politics is colliding with post-Assad refugee dilemmas for Syrians and the region. European leaders must navigate domestic pressures to support Syria’s transition in a constructive way and ensure voluntary, sustainable returns
To effectively deter migration to Europe, the EU’s €1 billion aid package to Lebanon must require that Beirut address its deep political and economic troubles
The UN agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees is on the brink of collapse, facing huge funding cuts and a dire situation amid the war in Gaza. But now more than ever, Europeans need to support its operations or risk an even more unstable situation
Israel’s expanding ground-offensive threatens to push Palestinians out of Gaza and into neighbouring Egypt. This would worsen an already dire humanitarian situation and risks destabilising Egypt, an important European partner
In the aftermath of the earthquake, minimal aid is reaching north-west Syria, the most affected region in the country. European governments need to put humanitarian imperatives first, even if this means temporarily abandoning longstanding political positions
Europeans should adopt a new approach to supporting Syrian refugees – one that would also benefit host communities in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
If Turkey and other countries begin deporting more Syrians back to Syria, Europe could experience a new wave of arrivals. European policymakers need to devise a more sustainable, longer-term approach to the issue
Heightened conflict in Ukraine could have serious consequences for European interests in the Middle East and North Africa. It could further disrupt energy supplies, exacerbate food insecurity, and help states in the region gain leverage over the US and Europe
Europeans who have at heart the sustainable return of refugees, in line with Europe’s core interests and with the will of the Syrian people, should focus on ensuring that conditions on the ground in Syria allow for safe, voluntary, and dignified returns
The White House’s intent to restore the global human rights agenda should prompt the EU and its member states to rethink their refugee policies, at a time when refugees and other displaced people face immense challenges
Europeans should adopt a new approach to supporting Syrian refugees – one that would also benefit host communities in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
A rise in right-wing agendas in European politics is colliding with post-Assad refugee dilemmas for Syrians and the region. European leaders must navigate domestic pressures to support Syria’s transition in a constructive way and ensure voluntary, sustainable returns
To effectively deter migration to Europe, the EU’s €1 billion aid package to Lebanon must require that Beirut address its deep political and economic troubles
The UN agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees is on the brink of collapse, facing huge funding cuts and a dire situation amid the war in Gaza. But now more than ever, Europeans need to support its operations or risk an even more unstable situation
Israel’s expanding ground-offensive threatens to push Palestinians out of Gaza and into neighbouring Egypt. This would worsen an already dire humanitarian situation and risks destabilising Egypt, an important European partner
In the aftermath of the earthquake, minimal aid is reaching north-west Syria, the most affected region in the country. European governments need to put humanitarian imperatives first, even if this means temporarily abandoning longstanding political positions
If Turkey and other countries begin deporting more Syrians back to Syria, Europe could experience a new wave of arrivals. European policymakers need to devise a more sustainable, longer-term approach to the issue
Heightened conflict in Ukraine could have serious consequences for European interests in the Middle East and North Africa. It could further disrupt energy supplies, exacerbate food insecurity, and help states in the region gain leverage over the US and Europe
Europeans who have at heart the sustainable return of refugees, in line with Europe’s core interests and with the will of the Syrian people, should focus on ensuring that conditions on the ground in Syria allow for safe, voluntary, and dignified returns
The White House’s intent to restore the global human rights agenda should prompt the EU and its member states to rethink their refugee policies, at a time when refugees and other displaced people face immense challenges
The European Union can provide greater grassroots support to the Tunisian and Lebanese economies – and help avert an economic crisis abroad and political crisis at home
Kelly Petillo on the US directly destabilising Jordan by cutting USAID
Kelly Petillo on prospects for Italy to recognise a Palestinian state
Kelly Petillo on Europe’s migration policy
Kelly Petillo on the five-point migration plan proposed by Merz
Kelly Petillo on Syrian refugees, Trump’s plans in Gaza and the West Bank, and the UNRWA ban
