Examining the Aspirations and Trajectories of Migrants in Turkey - WP7 Country Dossier

Authors:

Susan Beth Rottmann, Maissam Nimer - Özyeğin University | N. Ela Gökalp-Aras, Umutcan Yüksel, Hakan Ünay - Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul

Executive Summary:

The report emphasizes the significance of tailored policies to support migrant integration and calls for urgent measures to address gaps in resources and opportunities. Migrants' agency remains a key theme, as they navigate complex migration and return pathways. By modeling their trajectories, the report highlights diverse experiences, including onward movements, temporary settlements, and conditional return aspirations.

Social networks emerge as a critical factor in migrants’ lives, providing essential support but also fostering disappointment when expectations go unmet. Political and economic factors heavily influence decisions about returning home or migrating to third countries, with many migrants expressing a willingness to return only under improved conditions in their home countries.

The report critiques the EU-Turkey Statement as a symbol of migration governance externalization, where Turkey acts as a buffer zone for migration to Europe. Financial and technical support from the EU has bolstered Turkey's return management infrastructure but also reinforced coercive practices, eroding migrants' and refugees' rights.

This dossier underlines the urgent need for balanced policies that prioritize migrants' dignity and human rights while fostering sustainable solutions for integration and return. By centering migrant perspectives and exploring their lived experiences, the report offers actionable insights into migration dynamics in Turkey and beyond.

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