Perceptions of Graduate Students Regarding Migration and Immigrants: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The Syrian conflict that began in 2011 transformed Turkey into a principal destination for large-scale migration, generating considerable social, economic, cultural, and educational consequences. Understanding the anti-migrant attitudes emerging across society on a sound empirical footing matters greatly for the design of future migration policy and for social cohesion. This study examines how postgraduate students specializing in migration studies perceive the notions of migration and the migrant. Working with forty graduate students enrolled at the Migration Institute of Gaziantep University in 2024–2025, the research adopted a phenomenological design, drawing data from semi-structured interviews subjected to content analysis. Although participants recognized benefits such as cultural enrichment and additional labour, their accounts were dominated by concerns over integration difficulties, economic strain, unemployment, and irregular migration. The "migrant" was frequently imagined as socio-economically and educationally disadvantaged. Accordingly, the authors recommend macro-level policies grounded in state oversight, legal frameworks, and qualitative criteria.

Keywords

• Migration
• Perception of Migrants
• Postgraduate Students
• Phenomenology
• Social Cohesion.

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted in accordance with ethical considerations.

Lisansüstü öğrenim gören öğrencilerin göç ve göçmenlere yönelik bakış açıları: Fenomenolojik bir çalışma

Abstract

2011'de başlayan Suriye iç çatışması, Türkiye'yi büyük ölçekli göçün başlıca varış noktalarından biri hâline getirerek toplumsal, ekonomik, kültürel ve eğitsel açıdan derin sonuçlar doğurmuştur. Toplumda beliren göçmen karşıtı tutumların sağlam bir ampirik zemine oturtularak anlaşılması, gelecekteki göç politikaları ve sosyal uyum süreçleri bakımından büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışma, göç alanında uzmanlaşan lisansüstü öğrencilerin göç ve göçmen kavramlarına ilişkin algılarını incelemektedir. Gaziantep Üniversitesi Göç Enstitüsü'nde 2024-2025 öğretim yılında öğrenim gören kırk lisansüstü öğrenciyle yürütülen araştırmada fenomenolojik bir desen benimsenmiş; veriler yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerle toplanarak içerik analiziyle çözümlenmiştir. Katılımcılar kültürel zenginlik ve iş gücü katkısı gibi olumlu yönleri kabul etmekle birlikte, anlatılarına uyum sorunları, ekonomik yük, işsizlik ve düzensiz göçe dair kaygılar egemen olmuştur. "Göçmen" çoğunlukla sosyo-ekonomik ve eğitsel açıdan dezavantajlı biçimde tasavvur edilmiştir. Bu doğrultuda devlet denetimi, hukuki çerçeveler ve nitelik ölçütlerine dayanan makro düzeyli politikalar önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Göç
• Göç
• Göçmen algısı
• lisansüstü öğrenciler
• Olgubilim

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma etik kararlar gözetilerek yürütülmüştür

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