The Self-Settlement of Syrian Refugees in Türkiye: Dynamics, Challenges, and Refugee Agency

Abstract

Türkiye hosts the largest population of Syrian refugees globally, with more than 95% residing in urban areas, showcasing the phenomenon of selfsettlement. This article examines the dynamics and challenges of Syrians’ self-settlement in Türkiye across three periods: 2011-2015, 2016-2019, and 2019 onwards. It identifies key actors, analyzes settlement/housing policies, and evaluates governance structures using secondary analysis of academic research, government policies, legal documents, NGO reports, and media coverage. The findings reveal that despite a centralized migration management approach, Syrians’ settlement in Turkish cities heavily relies on their self-reliance primarily due to the absence of comprehensive housing/settlement policies and limited intervention of local authorities and civil society organizations. While self-reliance facilitates social participation, against the backdrop of the lack of proper support mechanisms, it also perpetuates Syrians’ disadvantaged positions, leading to an insecure struggle for survival. This study outlines two sets of main challenges of Syrians’ self-settling in Türkiye along with policy/legal recommendations. The first set encompasses socioeconomic, ethnic, and legal (status) aspects, discrimination and informal settlements, while the second addresses the administrative dimension, assessing the roles of local governments, civil society, and non-state actors.

Keywords

• Self-settlement
• refugees
• housing
• self-reliance
• Syrians
• Türkiye

References

1. References are indicated in the article.