Ungrievable lives: State and non-state authoritarianism in the making of Uyghur foreign fighters

While there is a broad literature on the policies of authoritarian regimes toward their populations abroad, we know far less about the inclusionary and exclusionary policies of authoritarian host states toward displaced populations residing within their own territories. This article examines how Uyghur refugees who fled China and arrived in Turkey via third countries between 2014 and 2016 were channelled into conflict zones in Syria through the interaction of state institutions, diaspora organisations, and armed non-state actors. The findings show that a humanitarian migration corridor used by a vulnerable refugee population was transformed into a strategic instrument in line with geopolitical and ideological objectives. Rather than viewing this process solely through the lens of homeland repression, the article demonstrates how authoritarian governance, diaspora networks, and armed non-state actors became intertwined in shaping the trajectories of forced migrants. Drawing on Judith Butler’s concept of ungrievable lives, the study argues that Turkey’s authoritarian turn rendered Uyghur refugees legally precarious and politically disposable, while armed non-state actors exploited their vulnerability for ideological purposes. Together, these dynamics facilitated the instrumentalization of refugees in pursuit of geopolitical and ideological objectives.