Push and pull factors in international students' decision-making processes: Case of Somali students in Türki̇ye

International Student Mobility (ISM) has increased four times over the last quarter-century. Meanwhile, showing a remarkable leap, Türkiye has experienced a twenty-time increase in international student inflow. Somali student immigration is a worth-considering case, where a wide range of factors are underway, and this thesis aims to examine why and how these students ended up in Türkiye. Drawing on the literature on migration and ISM, this study analyzes the decision-making processes of international students at the macro, micro, and meso-levels. Although the research benefits from the theories and frameworks offered by the extant research which has focused on the popular destinations at the 'global center', the analytical purpose is to reveal how an emerging host country has turned into a viable option rapidly in the eyes of the Somali students. The empirical analysis is based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 students of Somali origin. The findings reveal that macro-level pre-migration factors were common to all students. While private school students were influenced by micro-level factors such as job prospects and family influence, public-school students were influenced by meso-level factors. Türkiye's policies at the macro-level and facilitating institutions at the meso-level were found to be effective for both groups. Contrary to market-driven assumptions that consider international students as rational consumers, the decision-making processes of these students who were at the periphery of the international education system were marked by limited information and various challenges that impede the alleged utility maximization in both short and long-term plans.