Among the OSCE countries with a relatively new tradition of immigration, Turkey stands out as a particularly significant hub of migration flows for regular migrants, as well as for those irregular and in transit. While the country has historically been at the centre of major movements of voluntary and forced in-migrants, throughout much of the 20th century it was regarded as a country of emigration. Turkey’s geographical position, relative prosperity and current stability vis-à-vis its neighbours in the generally vola- tile region have, however, transformed it into a transit and destination country for migrants from Asian countries, the former Soviet Bloc, as well as the Middle East. While Turkey already hosted over 163,000 foreigners with residence permits in 2009, the actual number of migrants in Turkey is now likely to be much higher, in particular, taking into account the irregular migrant population.
While some work on migrant integration policies and practices has been undertaken by municipalities in areas where the main migrant communities are clustered, the issue should be more specifically addressed at the national level. The presence of a growing immigrant population, however, calls for particular attention to the evaluation and possible adjustment of existing migrant integration policies in Turkey. Moreover, migrant integration is also relevant in view of Turkey’s membership of the OSCE and its adherence to OSCE commitments, and its ongoing effort to accede to the European Union and to adopt the relevant provisions of EU law in the area of migration, as well as to implement the recently concluded re-admission agreement between Turkey and the EU.
To this end, an assessment of migrant integration policies according to the internationally acknowledged Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) would be particularly useful, as a tool that has been used in 32 OSCE participating States (including all EU Member States) as well as in Japan and Australia, and serves to provide the public authorities and the civil society with up-to-date, reliable and comparable data. The MIPEX assessment is a tool that authorities can use to identify and advance issues relevant for migrant integration in order to make further progress in meeting related OSCE commitments. The assessment identifies key issues pertinent for migrants’ integration, such as labour market mobility, family reunion or anti-discrimination measures. Most of all, the assessment provides solid data on the basis of which the competent authorities can make further policy improvements. It provides Turkey with information about the best practices of other participating States in the area of migrant integration, giving access to comparable data for scrutiny and debate. The MIPEX assessment allows Turkey to share its experiences on migrant integration with other countries in the region and also learn about new integration measures introduced by states with a longer relevant experience in this field. It may facilitate a meaningful dialogue on migrant integration with relevant regional actors, such as neighbouring migrant sending coun- tries, as well as internal stakeholders, such as civil society. In addition, the results of the assessment also permit the authorities to monitor and evaluate progress achieved in migrant integration in the future.
