Forced Migration and Resilience Planning: Turkey's Syrian Forced Migration Experience

Abstract

Today conditions leading to forced migration, where people are evacuated or have no other option but to leave their homes, are increasing due to the accelerating rates and impacts of ecological, political, economic or social crises. The intensifying forced migration flows have implications on a global scale. While the effects of forced migration processes intensify globally, international institutions and governments search for more efficient ways to cope with the rising multi-dimensional and multi-scalar challenges. Within this context of crises, the resilience approach aims to identify and strengthen the set of attributes, capabilities and capacities that provide urban/regional or social systems with the ability to cope with and be prepared for expected/unexpected shocks and stresses and adapt themselves to the changing conditions while self-improving. It also stresses the necessity of grounding plans, policies and actions upon these. This article claims that approaching the complex phenomenon of forced migration from a resilience perspective provides a multi-dimensional, multi-scalar, comprehensive undertaking, which supports developing long-lasting responses, grounded on universal humanist, ecological and democratic values, in introduced plans and policies. In this respect, the article discusses Turkey's experience of Syrian forced migration. The presented evaluation aims at developing a framework to be adopted in policy-making processes beyond the issue of forced migration.