Nowhere Boy takes place against the background of the Syrian Civil War. The war began in 2011 after years of growing discontent with the presidency of Bashar al-Assad. Under Bashar al-Assad’s presidency, Syria became a totalitarian state engaged in censorship, ethnic cleansing, and oppression of anyone who did not support the regime. This oppression led to the formation of the Free Syrian Army. In 2014, the Islamic State, an extremist jihadist group, pushed into Syria, with the Syrian army fighting against them. The war, arrests, bombings, and persecution from Bashar al-Assad have forced millions of refugees to flee Syria, causing the largest refugee crisis in history. Many countries in Europe, the Middle East, and North America have granted asylum to these refugees, though not without political difficulties. Economists argue that the integration of refugees leads to more economic opportunities for everyone, but many politicians seek to blame refugees for social problems and use xenophobic sentiment for political gain. Some countries have set up temporary camps meant to give aid and shelter to the refugees. Much like the detention center that Baba lives in at the end of the novel, these refugee camps are meant to house refugees temporarily before they find permanent housing.