ABSTRACT
Most studies analyse post-2011 Syrian refugees by adopting a stance that they are poor and in a disadvantageous position and neglect the existence of those who used to be (and still are) businesspeople. With the prolongation of conflict back home in Syria and the slim hope of return, this group of businesspeople will continue to stay and operate their businesses in the host countries. Investigation of the business practices of expatriate Syrian entrepreneurs shows that their business activities are conducted in a transnational context between homeland and host societies. The expatriate Syrian entrepreneurs in this study were required to adapt some of their ways of conducting business to local forms. Nevertheless, adaptation to local customs and rules does not detach them from their identity as Syrian entrepreneurs. This chapter shows that the idea of home is a mixture of bitter and sweet for the expatriate Syrian entrepreneurs.
