Residing without settling: Housing market and tactics of Syrian forced migrants in Turkey

Abstract

How do forced migrants from Syria cope with structural barriers to housing in urban centres in Turkey? More than 3.6 million Syrian refugees have lived in different cities in Turkey since the closing of the temporary accommodation centres in 2018. This study examines the agency of Syrians and their housing pathways in securing accommodation in a neoliberal housing market amidst increasing unwelcoming attitudes by the local population, no social housing, high dependence on rental housing prone to price hikes, and “temporary protection” legal status. Based on analysis of data from 34 semi‐structured interviews with forced migrant Syrians and 20 expert interviews in Gaziantep, a city close to the Turkey‐Syria border with a substantial Syrian population, the research identifies four tactics that characterise housing pathways of Syrian forced migrants: (1) acting through local community members, (2) working with a Syrian mediator, (3) settling down in Syrian‐only buildings or informal settlements, and (4) purchasing a house through circumventing the legal ban on property ownership. The study concludes by highlighting that while these tactics are necessary for meeting forced migrants’ immediate housing needs, they are far from sufficient in preventing exclusion in the Turkish housing market.

Mass migration governance and openness toward refugees: Comparing Germany and Turkey

“…Turkey has managed mass migration through a policy transformation from protection to a mix of protection and social integration across the fields of education, health, working life, and housing (Mencütek et al, 2023;Ozcurumez & Icduygu, 2020). Many studies highlight that overcoming challenges of mass migration becomes more testing over time due to unregistered employment (Badalič, 2023), complex troubles in education (Celik & Icduygu, 2018), and housing (Balkan & Tumen, 2016;Kurfalı & Ozcurumez, 2023). These studies conclude that the hybridization of policies of protection with social integration has mixed effects on both the Syrians and local communities (Akar & Erdogdu, 2018;Icduygu & Simsek, 2017;Mencütek et al, 2023;Ozcurumez & Icduygu, 2020).…”

“…Housing matters for integrating refugees because it substantially impacts access to education, employment, and physical and psychological health (Al Masri et al., 2021). With the closing down of TACs, Turkey's lack of a clear policy regarding housing support and the fact that Syrian refugees had to address their housing needs through the housing market had a substantial negative impact on both the rents and the real estate market (Kurfalı & Ozcurumez, 2023; Ozcurumez & Icduygu, 2020). Disputes in the housing market and the lack of policy on housing for refugees resulted in deep discontent among the locals and adversely impacted their attitudes towards Syrians.…”