Alternatives to immigration detention in Türkiye : what’s the European Union got to do with it?

Abstract

Türkiye, hosting the world’s largest refugee population, has become an important partner for the European Union in managing large-scale arrivals of refugees and migrants. Over the years, the EUTurkey Statement of March 2016 and the EU funding have notably increased Türkiye’s detention capacities, raising questions about the EU’s simultaneous support for alternatives to immigration detention. Türkiye’s recent legal amendments introduce seven alternatives to immigration detention, aiming to uphold the rights of migrants and reduce detention reliance. This shift necessitates academic scrutiny. This paper provides an overview of alternatives to detention in Türkiye and discusses the EU’s support of alternatives to detention in Türkiye and the possible motivation behind this support.