Return Migration Infrastructure in Turkey from Europe to Europe - WP3 Country Dossier

Authors:

N. Ela Gökalp-Aras, Umutcan Yüksel, Hakan Ünay - Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul

Executive Summary:

This country dossier/report examines Turkey’s return migration infrastructure (RMI), with a particular focus on pushforward strategies and readmissions under the EU-Turkey Statement (EUTRS, 2016). It specifically investigates return movements from Europe to Europe, analysing how Turkish authorities manage migrant mobility through indirect means in the grey area, including incentives for onward movement toward Greece and Bulgaria, as well as readmission agreements or similar political statements. The study highlights how pushforward practices intensified before and for a short period after the Pazarkule Events (2020), shaping border governance in Edirne and its surrounding regions, as well as readmission practices in Izmir from Europe as part of the EUTRS. 

The findings in this report are based on desk research and multi-sited qualitative fieldwork conducted in key locations, including Edirne, Istanbul, İzmir, and Kırklareli, where various aspects of return migration are addressed. The research relies on semi-structured interviews with various return-related actors, including NGO representatives, legal practitioners, local authorities, human smugglers, and migrants, providing direct insights into the procedural, legal, and operational challenges of return migration governance.

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