Title: Identifying the determinants of return migration among Syrian refugees: a comparative study between Turkey and Germany
Abstract: As a response to the Syrian refugee crisis and in order to contribute to the informing of refugee
policy, this research aims to highlight the voice of Syrian refugees in the debate on migration,
refugees and repatriation as a solution to the refugee cycle. It examines the extent to which Syrian
refugees intend to return to Syria or not given the political, economic and security related
circumstances. It identifies the micro-level socioeconomic and contextual determinants of their
returning decisions and the differences between them in Germany and Turkey. It also examines
the impact of the media and information on the returning decision by exposing respondents to
negative and positive information on returning to Syria. The quantitative data was supported by
in-depth conversations with Syrian refugee respondents in both Turkey and Germany.
Main findings include that the end of the war is not reason enough for people to return. That the
decision to return is complex, inclusive of multiple socioeconomic and contextual factors and
heavily vested in the reality of life in both the host and the home countries. We see that refugees
in neighboring countries like Turkey are more likely to return compared to those further away in
highly developed countries such as Germany, also that incentives do not influence the returning
decision but that media and information can play a role. The research conclude that refugees can
influenced by the level of development in the home country (in this case Syria) but that this again
depends on their individual situations and contextual circumstances. It becomes clear that
investing in infrastructure and health and education systems in the home country are crucial factors
that influence return decision making with a safe political environment coming top in the case of
Syria.
Publication Year: 2018
Publication Date: 2018-12-04
Language: en
Type: article
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