Ambiguity and migration governance in the satellite city of Duzce, Türkiye

Abstract

Türkiye has adopted regulations to manage migration and refugee flows requiring the cooperation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) since the early 2000s. Even though the basic rights of refugees, such as health and access to educational aid, are defined by regulations, there are barriers that cause discrimination by the authorities of the institutions providing these rights and services, despite the fact that refugees are registered to access these rights. Due to these barriers, which are caused by the lack of standardized procedures, local institutions also tend to put national security first before providing the services refugees need. Based on in-depth interviews with 39 key informants—including refugees, public employees and NGO workers, this paper examines how national migration policy is reflected in local practices, using Duzce city as the example. The paper also shows how refugees develop their own survival strategies through informal mechanisms in response to this situation.