Turkey's Evolving Migration Policies: A Mediterranean Transit Stop at the Doors of the EU

Particularly in Europe, there is a common misconception that Turkey is primarily a country of emigration (or migrant-sending country) and a source country for asylum seekers. However, reality is that Turkey has morphed into a country of immigration, and more prominently a transit country, as a result of intense migratory movements over the last two decades. This paper analyses the evolution of Turkey’s migration policies and the way in which EU-Turkey relations have affected Turkey's migration laws and practices.

Paper produced within the framework of the New-Med Research Network, June 2015. Presented at the conference on "Changing Migration Patterns in the Mediterranean Region", organised in Tunis on 24 April 2015 by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), and the Centre of Tunis for Migration and Asylum (CeTuMA).