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Astray and Stranded at the Gates of The European Union: African Transit Migrants in İstanbul

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2015

Deniz Yükseker  and
Kelly Todd Brewer
Deniz Yükseker
Affiliation:
Koç University, Department of Sociology, Rumeli Feneri Yolu, Sarıyer, İstanbul 34450, [email protected].
Kelly Todd Brewer
Affiliation:
Sabancı University, Foundations Development Program, Orhanlı, Tuzla, Istanbul, [email protected].
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Abstract

This paper discusses the consequences of EU migration control policies on irregular and transit migration in Turkey by focusing on African migrants. Our argument is that the EU's concern with transit migration through the Mediterranean and hence its externalization and securitization of migration control have contributed to Turkey's becoming a waiting room for irregular and transit migrants. Based on the findings of a survey with African migrants in İstanbul and analysis of secondary sources, we show that many African migrants get stranded in Turkey. In the absence of an institutional setup for migration management and the prevalence of a security approach, migrants are faced with humanitarian problems and human rights violations.

Keywords

African migrants in Turkeyasylum seekingirregular migrationtransit migrationEU migration policy
Type
Articles
Information
New Perspectives on Turkey , Volume 44 , Spring 2011 , pp. 129 - 159
Copyright
Copyright © New Perspectives on Turkey 2011

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