Barriers to Social Integration of Syrian Refugees in Turkish Society: Language, Culture, and Identity

Abstract

The Syrian civil war has become one of the deadliest wars of the 21st century which resulted in tens of millions of people being displaced from their home country. Turkey currently hosts the most of displaced Syrians around the world. Overall, Turkey accepted the refugees with open arms at the start and tried incorporating a temporary protection strategy. That worked for a while but the social integration of these Turkish-Syrian people still seems far from resolved. In this paper, I will be analyzing the issues that hinders the integration of syrian refugees and normal Turks focusing more on the language culture and identity. It is the most basic requirement that a refugee has a basic understanding of Turkish if they wish to access education, employment, and public services. However, many of the refugees are unable to acquire Turkish due to limited resources as well as the day to day struggle that comes with living in poverty. Not only does the difference in culture lead to social tension, stereotypes, and misunderstandings, but identity based discrimination and racialization further isolate refugees from public life. In addition to this, the estimate for discrimination the general public has to face is relative to their education level, the employment opportunities available to them, the housing situation as well as public perception of the person making them even more vulnerable along with women and youth. This research highlights the need for policies that are inclusive and promote critical cross-border dialogues and intersections of resources supporting the need for permanent settlement. Addressing these social and structural hurdles enables Turkey to promote an integrated society that accommodates the needs of both the host community and the refugees.