Uncertainties involved in Turkey’s migration management: The case of Syrians under Temporary Protection

Abstract

Turkey hosts 3.6 million Syrians1 under its ‘temporary protection’ scheme. Yet, the Temporary Protection regime lacks a concrete timeframe and generates uncertainties for Syrians living in Turkey as, in practice, it does not establish guaranteed and stable rights to them. Moreover, there are additional uncertainties emanating from the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement, which overlooks that Turkey still reserves geographical restriction to the 1951 Geneva Convention and its 1969 Protocol. Furthermore, there is a certain lack of clarity on the application of human rights standards to vulnerable irregular migrants, casting doubts on the legality of this soft law instrument.