Background
Turkey has been a main actor on the Eurosian migration scene, first as a country of origin and then as a country of destination and transit being subject to various types of migration flows, such as transit migration, illegal labour migration, the movements of asylum seekers and refugees and the migration of registered foreigners. Starting from the early 1960s, under the guest-worker program, large numbers of Turkish workers immigrated to western European countries. Though labour migration to the EU has stagnated in recent years, there are still many Turkish citizens who emigrate through either the family reunification or the asylum track. As a result of its relative economic prosperity, the ongoing political turmoil in the neighbouring areas and the increasingly restrictive migration policies implemented by ?fortress Europe?, Turkey has long been not only a country of immigration and asylum but also a country of destination and transit by many would be migrants heading towards its principal cities like Istanbul or Izmir mainly from Iran and Iraq, but increasingly from countries as far as Algeria, Bangladesh, Ghana, Nigeria or Pakistan.
Following the pre-accession requirements of the EU, in the National Program for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) in 2003, Turkey declared its own intensions to introduce some major changes to its migration and asylum policies and practices. Similar concerns have also been elaborated in the ?2005 Turkish National Action Plan on Asylum and Migration Legislation?. However, today not only Turkey, but also its European counterparts face crucial challenges on the level of urban governance in relation to the management of the migration flows which mostly end up in the urban cities. Since urban services and infrastructure facilities do not develop fast enough to absorb migrants in the urban cities, these migration flows contribute to the emergence of strikingly visible subcultures in these cities, with social and economic segregation of the migrants. Migrants create their own adjustment strategies, their own jobs and informal economies to cope with city life. Although in the last decades international migration has moved to the forefront of the EU?s and its member states? political agendas, present cross-border movements are characterized by new features calling for analysis, responses and ad hoc measures, especially at the local level where the phenomenon most comes out with its tangible effects.
Currently, the steps taken by the central and local governments are not enough in solving the main problems of migrants in the urban cities and little attention is paid on enhancing dialogue with the civil society organizations, which have to be more active in this field. Additionally, current migration flows are often characterized by an increasing number of women migrants which bring to the fore the feminization of the migration flows, the inequalities and unequal opportunities related to the gender roles and also the difficulties in formulating policies related to migrants and their problems. As a result, the urban cities are in need of appropriate immigration policies to ensure the integration and the well being of the incoming population taking into account the gender roles and local governments. By building a long-term cooperation within the network of Turkish and European universities for investigating and exchanging the experiences on urban governance and management of international migration in selected cities of the EU countries that are going through similar migration processes at different stages of their inclusion into the EU, and for intensifying contacts between civil society organizations in Turkey and the member states of the EU, the project will:
Provide a deeper understanding of international migration, highlighting the past experiences in the urban cities of EU member countries (Venice, Cadiz) and comparing differences and commonalities of the EU cities (Venice and Cadiz) and their different national and local contexts with the case of Turkey (Istanbul),
Explore the wider context of the international migration management in urban areas in these three EU border countries, Turkey, Italy, Spain,
Contribute to designing effective strategies to respond to the needs of migrants in the urban cities, stressing the different needs and capacity of women migrants and men migrant,
Set up guidelines for promoting a governance approach on the concepts of urban cities and international migration.
On balance, the lack of initiatives taken on the urban settings, especially on local level, and minor dialogue within the civil society create a vital importance for adopting effective immigration policies considering the migrants? problems in the urban settings. Definitely urban settings are the most suitable arenas for fostering urban inclusion of international migrants and promoting good governance within the increasingly multicultural and diverse societies.
Diversity is both an asset and a challenge for the European Union. Each member state is linked to a specific history of nation building and to specific national identities. Member states have many points in common, but they also nurture their own differences in terms of language, culture, political and legal systems. The ongoing process of enlargement will also continue to increase this diversity. Eventually, the EU is and will continue to be a region of immigration. Increasing numbers of migrants from all over the world are settling in European cities, widening the variety of ethno-cultural urban identities. As a result of interactions and conflicts, new life styles, new religions, new visions of the world, new cultures are constantly emerging and merging in the European social fabric. Sharing of experiences among (actual and candidate) European cities is a priority to understand how these diversity can be considered as an ?opportunity? rather than ?a problem?.
Turkish authorities estimate that there are at least hundreds of thousands of irregular foreign workers in the country. The clandestine nature of migrants? movements makes the quantification and management of this phenomenon quite difficult. However it is unquestionable that several Turkish cities are hosting large numbers of foreigners living and working irregularly. All these, significantly affect the socio-economic urban fabric, posing new challenges to local authorities with often scarce financial resources and insufficient technical skills called to comply with the demands arising from and increasingly multicultural and diverse urban society. Furthermore, Turkey?s candidature for joining the European Union, and the resulting central government commitment to harmonize its migration policy with EU standards, thrusts local governments to take action against irregular migration and human trafficking. However, the growing concerns in Europe that should it become a member of the EU there would be a massive wave of immigration from Turkey to the more prosperous members of the Union, could be reduced if evidence shows that Turkish cities do actually attract immigrants for endogenous pull factors. Retaining these international migrants by fostering their social inclusion may represent an important resource for the overall urban economy. Qualitative research is strongly needed in this field to understand these new dynamics better and help local policy makers in making informed choices on how to better govern international migration.
In recent years Spain and Italy have gone through similar migration history, moving from being countries of emigration to becoming countries of destination (or transit) for an increasing number of migrants, including massive waves of irregular migrants. As a result of the opportunities offered by the formal and informal urban economies, migration flows in both countries are also heading more and more towards cities, particularly the main ones such as Rome, Milan, Madrid and Barcelona, but also middle-size cities where settling may be easier. As a result, local governments have become, by choice or necessity, the main driving forces behind highly innovative immigrants policies based primarily on the mobilization and direct involvement of the local civil society. |
