Migrant Integration Policy Index - Turkey

http://www.mipex.eu/turkey

Turkey Policy Scores XLSX

Changes in context

• Country with long history of emigration and immigration and today a major hub for mixed flows of asylum-seekers, irregular migrants, and migrant workers
• The number of foreign citizens recorded in TU rose from 100,000 in 2008 to 275,000 in 2013 according to statistics reported by TU to Eurostat
• The number of registered SY refugees rose according to UNHCR from 175,000 in Jan. 2013 to 560,000 in Jan. 2014 to >1.5 million in Jan. 2015 (50% women, >50% children, ≈4% aged 60+); Halfway through 2015, UNHCR only received 17% of its 2015 funding appeal ($500 million gap)
• Lowest overall employment rate among MIPEX countries (53% in 2014, similar to GR) 
• Like GR, the majority of TU citizens are increasingly negative towards immigrants linked to the refugee crisis, due to perceived effects on wages and rents

Changes in policy

Reform of TU's asylum and migration policies is now less about relations and accession to the EU and more about the future of the now 1.7 million registered SY refugees living in TU, projected to reach 2.5 by end 2015. TU is now the largest host country of refugees in the world, with just 250,000 in 25 refugee camps and the rest in cities across the country. TU is currently the only one of the 38 MIPEX countries that signed and ratified the 1990 UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and the Members of their Families.

After years of discussion, Law 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection was passed by the Turkish Parliament in 2013 and welcomed by the UN and EU. Maintaining the geographical limitation, the law does create basic procedures for international protection, work permits, and residence permits. TU is one of the few countries in the world maintaining the geographical limitation of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees to only European asylum seekers. Under Law 6458's Article 96, the mutual ‘adaptation’ of immigrants and society is supposed to be facilitated through courses and information campaigns, depending on available funds and stakeholders’ recommendations. A Migration Policies Board within the Interior Ministry is supposed to draft new migration strategies, determine and monitor implementation, and carry out mutual adaptation activities.

Conclusions and recommendations

Even after passage of the Law 6458 (only +1 point in MIPEX), TU's legal framework is unfavourable for integration and ranks below the other MIPEX countries, scoring only 25-out-of-100 points. Immigrant workers and their families have restricted rights and little-to-no state support. The policies are unfavourable for labour market mobility, education, and political participation, even compared to other new countries of immigration in Central and Southeastern Europe. TU also has the weakest protections against discrimination because a dedicated anti-discrimination law and agency are still lacking and pending approval by Parliament. The country’s relative strength, family reunion, is still incompatible with EU law and weak compared to laws in most MIPEX countries. Settled immigrants face not only a slightly unfavourable path to citizenship, as in several new countries of immigration, but also one of the least favourable paths to simply a long-term residence permit, far below EU standards. While Law 6458 improved transparency and the rule-of-law, the new family reunion and long-term residence statuses generally formalised existing practices, including new rights, but also new requirements. The new Migration Policies Board still has to create national adaptation strategies and programmes and determine the conditions for long-term residence.