Doğuş Şimşek

This project focuses on the intersection of race and class in exploring Syrian refugees’ experiences of racism. It addresses the questions of whether racism is linked with class in Turkey; how migration policies play a crucial role in defining the boundaries of “good” and “bad” refugees that have shaped both neoliberal discourse and policy-making; why the experiences of refugees and/or migrants vary so widely, with some feeling accepted and others (often from the same country) marginalized and targeted.

This proposed project entails an overview and analysis of the location of forced migrant labour in Gaziantep, an export-based growth neoliberal city in Turkey. It addresses questions of how different categories of migrants are located in the labour market and the city; how different local, national and international institutions, including European institutions, relate to different legal registers; how wealth is generated; how different discursive and institutional sources are pulled in; and how forced migrants become part of the labour force, and under what terms and conditions.