This presentation aims to explore the link between forced migration and urban growth in the specific context of the Middle East. It explores the blurring categories between migrants and refugees, then it highlights the demographic importance of refugee movements in the region in the recent history (Armenians, Palestinians, Iraqis and Syrians). Based on the different forced migration movements the co-existence of official camps and “urban” settlement is then analysed within the debate on the space of exception in the relation with camp experience. Based on fieldwork carried on in Lebanon and Jordan the presentation compares two experiences: 1. The Palestinian one in Lebanon analysing the urban integration of refugee camp, and 2. The Syrian refugee camp in Jordan as the emergence of a makeshift city.