Stability as Threshold: Return, Stay or Onward Migration among Highly Educated Syrian Refugees in Türkiye after the Fall of Assad
Öz
In this article, we examine determinants of return, stay, and onward migration intentions among Syrian refugees in Türkiye, focusing on a highly educated subgroup whose skills are often viewed as crucial for post-conflict reconstruction. Combining a pre-December 2024 survey (N=510) with post-December 2024 semi-structured interviews (n=20), we analyze how perceived stability—security, livelihoods, services, and institutional predictability—structures future plans. Quantitative analysis first situates the broader survey sample and then focuses on university – and postgraduate-educated respondents, showing that return aspirations among this highly educated subgroup are strongly associated with property ownership in Syria and positive perceptions of security and living conditions, while Turkish citizenship and longer duration of stay in Türkiye are associated with lower return propensity. The interview phase provides interpretive depth by showing how highly educated Syrians understand “stability” through credential recognition, legal status, professional mobility, and the infrastructure required for skilled work. Many rule out return because volatility in Syria threatens long-term career and family projects; others contemplate return or onward migration when legal precarity, discrimination, and blocked mobility in Türkiye undermine stability. The article contributes to debates on durable solutions by showing how education reshapes the meaning of voluntariness and why policies that ignore highly educated refugees’ institutional and professional requirements are unlikely to enable sustainable reintegration.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Destekleyen Kurum
Teşekkür
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Siyaset Bilimi (Diğer)
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Jamil Hallak
0000-0001-5975-4075
Türkiye
Didem Danış
*
0000-0001-6547-3341
Türkiye
Deniz Sert
0000-0002-5360-6642
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
29 Eylül 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
10 Şubat 2026
Kabul Tarihi
4 Temmuz 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 14 Sayı: 2