Istanbul big magnet for immigrants
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ceylan Yeğinsu
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 14, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - A recent report has revealed that Istanbul is a magnet for migrants not only because it is a cosmopolitan city open to opportunity but because it is a stepping stone to other European counties that have stricter immigration laws.
Ahmet İçduygu and Kristen Sarah Biehl of Koç University's Migration Research department, as part of the British Council’s "Living Together" project prepared the report titled "Istanbul’s Migrants in the 2000s".
The results of the project were discussed last week at a conference hosted by the British Council in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu municipality.
Why Istanbul?
There are the three main reasons identified by the report as why immigrants were attracted to Istanbul. The first is that Turkey’s neighboring countries have had ongoing political and social conflicts and many escaped seeking safety and a better quality of life. Second, Turkey is seen as a bridge between East and West Ğ a stepping-stone to get to other more developed European countries.
Third, Turkish customs are easier to pass than the majority of European countries, especially European Union members that have strict immigration laws.
Once in Turkey, migrants tend to go to Istanbul because integration is easier in cosmopolitan cities. More illegal employment opportunities are available in large cities for those without work or residence permits.
Following a case study of 10 different immigrants, report results showed that there are four different categories of immigrants in Istanbul.
According to the report, the first group is comprised of Ukrainian, Moldavian, Romanian and Russian Federation migrants that come to Istanbul for work opportunities in the textile, house work and entertainment industries such as night clubs and bars. Speaking at the British Council conference in Zeytinburnu, İçduygu said there was a broad range of work opportunities for this group in the entertainment industry as a result of tourism from those countries. İçduygu said that the majority of these migrants came legally but often over-stayed their visas.
Turkey seen as temporary location
According to the report, the second immigrant group is from the Middle East, countries such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and some Asian countries. Those immigrants either come intending to move on to another country, or come to stay but get rejected for a resident permit.
The third group those who have legally migrated to Turkey, which consists of people with work or residence permits who reside in Turkey legally. But Içduygu criticized that it is a long and bureaucratic process to obtain this status. The report showed that most migrants see Turkey as a temporary location, so many do not apply for legal residence permits. The final immigrant group, according to the report is asylum seekers that have fled danger in their country and come to Turkey seeking refuge. Key integration problems these migrants are facing in a cosmopolit city like Istanbul were also discussed at the conference. The lack of central organizations to represent and voice the issues faced by these minority communities appeared as the most important problem. Another key issue was the lack of health services available to migrants and the lack of employment rights that result in migrants being overworked, underpaid and exploited.
The "living together" project is an initiative to bring diverse groups from across Europe together, to contribute to the global debate on intercultural dialogue. The report was prepared in order to contribute to this initiative by combining statistics and facts about migration in an academic format to form a clear picture with solid facts to present to donors.
Living Together will use a range of approaches to explore these issues, including a photography and film exhibition, young people’s programs and international workshops. The project will involve more countries as it develops.
The results of the project were discussed last week at a conference hosted by the British Council in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu municipality.
Why Istanbul?
There are the three main reasons identified by the report as why immigrants were attracted to Istanbul. The first is that Turkey’s neighboring countries have had ongoing political and social conflicts and many escaped seeking safety and a better quality of life. Second, Turkey is seen as a bridge between East and West Ğ a stepping-stone to get to other more developed European countries.
Third, Turkish customs are easier to pass than the majority of European countries, especially European Union members that have strict immigration laws.
Once in Turkey, migrants tend to go to Istanbul because integration is easier in cosmopolitan cities. More illegal employment opportunities are available in large cities for those without work or residence permits.
Following a case study of 10 different immigrants, report results showed that there are four different categories of immigrants in Istanbul.
According to the report, the first group is comprised of Ukrainian, Moldavian, Romanian and Russian Federation migrants that come to Istanbul for work opportunities in the textile, house work and entertainment industries such as night clubs and bars. Speaking at the British Council conference in Zeytinburnu, İçduygu said there was a broad range of work opportunities for this group in the entertainment industry as a result of tourism from those countries. İçduygu said that the majority of these migrants came legally but often over-stayed their visas.
Turkey seen as temporary location
According to the report, the second immigrant group is from the Middle East, countries such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and some Asian countries. Those immigrants either come intending to move on to another country, or come to stay but get rejected for a resident permit.
The third group those who have legally migrated to Turkey, which consists of people with work or residence permits who reside in Turkey legally. But Içduygu criticized that it is a long and bureaucratic process to obtain this status. The report showed that most migrants see Turkey as a temporary location, so many do not apply for legal residence permits. The final immigrant group, according to the report is asylum seekers that have fled danger in their country and come to Turkey seeking refuge. Key integration problems these migrants are facing in a cosmopolit city like Istanbul were also discussed at the conference. The lack of central organizations to represent and voice the issues faced by these minority communities appeared as the most important problem. Another key issue was the lack of health services available to migrants and the lack of employment rights that result in migrants being overworked, underpaid and exploited.
The "living together" project is an initiative to bring diverse groups from across Europe together, to contribute to the global debate on intercultural dialogue. The report was prepared in order to contribute to this initiative by combining statistics and facts about migration in an academic format to form a clear picture with solid facts to present to donors.
Living Together will use a range of approaches to explore these issues, including a photography and film exhibition, young people’s programs and international workshops. The project will involve more countries as it develops.