Immigration for education: A sociological study on Guinean students in Turkey

Recently, Guinean students have also turned to Turkey for educational purposes. Considering the rarity of research on these students, this study has tried to examine the integration processes of Guinean students in Turkey. In this context, the satisfaction levels of Guinean students regarding their education in Turkey, their relationships with their teachers and Turkish friends, the difficulties they are encountering and their position about returning to Guinea after their education in Turkey have been analyzded. In the framework of this study, by using a qualitative method through a semi-structured interview 34 Guinean students have been interviewed. The results of the research show that almost all Guinean students are satisfied with studying in Turkey in many aspects such as the study environment, the quality of education, their relations with their teachers and Turkish friends, and the ease of practicing their religion, Islam. At the same time, it was determined that the main difficulties faced by Guinean students participating in this study are difficulties with Turkish language, difficulties with finding a job, difficulties with climate and difficulties with being African (black). According to the findings, although some of the participants expressed a desire to return to Guinea immediately after studying in Turkey it was understood that the majority of Guinean students prefer a long-term return because of the difficulties or low probability of finding a job in Guinea.