Publication: The global politics of refugee protection and return: the case of syrian refugees in Turkey
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2022-01-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
T.M.C. Asser Press Springer
Abstract
Voluntary, safe, and dignified return is one of the durable solutions to forced displacement and, thus, hosting states have the responsibility to provide international protection to refugees until the conditions for voluntary repatriation are met. Premature or forced return that is falling short of international standards would mean a violation of the principle of non-refoulement. However, due to the evolution of the international refugee regime from the 1990s onwards and a growing emphasis on refugee containment within the context of informalization of global governance of forced displacement impeding seeking asylum, delaying resettlement, and facilitating return end up violating the very founding principles of the international refugee regime while exposing refugees and asylum-seekers to violence and higher risks. Due to power asymmetries, global governance of forced displacement proceeds through unequal responsibility sharing, which makes the return critically important. As the countries in the Global North refrain from responsibility-sharing and resort to informal arrangements to ensure the cooperation of third countries in exchange for development assistance or trade benefits, it provides the refugee-hosting states with leverage to take unilateral action in returning refugees, which in certain cases disregard international norms and standards and speed up returns despite being presented as “voluntary returns”. The chapter argues that Turkey presents a very interesting case, not only because it is hosting the highest number of refugees in the world, but also because it allows us to analyze the impact of global politics of refugee containment, geopolitical developments, and domestic policy concerns on the refugee returns. The chapter also evaluates the feasibility of Turkey’s plan to create a safe zone and resettle Syrians in Northern Syria and elaborate on the conditions of the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of refugees to the safe zone and Syria.
Description
Keywords
Global refugee governance, refugee containment, refugee return, Syrian refugee crisis, Turkey, EU
Citation
IHLAMUR ÖNER S. G. , The Global Politics of Refugee Protection and Return: The Case Of Syrian Refugees in Turkey, "The Informalisation of the EU's External Action in the Field of Migration and Asylum", Kassoti,Eva Idriz, Narin, Editör, T.M.C. Asser Press Springer, LAHEY, ss.287-315, 2022