Turkey, the EU and Migration

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Turkey and the European Union (EU) have had a long and difficult relationship. Among the many issues both sides have had to deal with, migration and the governance of migratory movements have been an especially thorny subject. In hindsight, the summer of 2015, when close to one million refugees, mostly Syrian nationals, and migrants arrived at Europe’s doorstep, was a turning point. These developments had a deep impact on the EU, its internal unity, politics and external relations, as well as its relations with Turkey. Decades of migration from Turkey to Europe have had important economic, political and social consequences on a number of European countries and on Turkey itself. In recent years, Turkey was transformed from a primarily country of emigration to an immigration and transit country, mostly as a result of its economic development that was deeply shaped by its engagement with the EU. This course provides an overview of the EU’s policies toward migrants and refugees, the evolution of Turkish policy toward those arriving on its borders and analysis of EU-Turkish relations with a particular emphasis on policies toward refugees and migrants, including the foreign policy, political, institutional and regulatory aspects of these migratory movements, ranging from asylum seekers and irregular migrants to exchange students and retirees.