Change or continuity? A comparative study of the immigrant integration models of Turkey and Germany after the Syrian crisis

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b2313226_ (Table of contents)

This study aimed to explore the effects of the Syrian refugee crisis on the immigrant integration policies and hence the national models of Turkey and Germany. It tried to assess whether there is a continuity or divergence in the policies after 2011. It also tried to match the two countries with one of the immigrant integration models discussed in the literature. Accordingly, only legal measures were examined based on the immigrant integration indices. Laws and regulations were analysed in terms of eight main elements of integration and the indicators for each element. The results show that anti-discrimination and political participation rights are not covered by neither of the countries, suggesting a segregationist approach. German policies enacted after 2011 predominantly focus on access to labor market, language and cultural learning and partially health while Turkish policies address regulations on permanent residence, education and family reunion, more so than others. German immigrant integration policies seem to reflect assimilationism more explicitly, compared to other models due to the emphasis on cultural learning and cultural conformity. The Turkish case, too, reflects assimilationist elements as well as segregationist ones, due to policies favouring only certain types of immigrants. The new legal adjustments indicate both continuities and divergences with the past for both countries