A study on the perceptions of Ak Party and CHP voters in Erzincan regarding international migratıon and immigrants

The main findings of this study, which examines the perceptions of migration and migrants among AK Party and CHP supporters living in the central district of Erzincan through quantitative survey data and qualitative findings, indicate that perceptions of migrants constitute a multidimensional structure shaped by political and demographic factors, and that supporters of both parties generally hold negative attitudes toward migrants and the government's migration policies. In particular, the low mean scores and the high proportion of negative responses regarding granting citizenship to migrants, the admission of new migrants, and the contribution of migrants to society are noteworthy. In the dimensions of economic and social contact, however, a more moderate perception is observed among supporters of both parties. It was also found that participants from both parties have reservations about the permanence of migrants and their social integration, whereas their attitudes toward migrants' contribution to the labor force, neighborhood relations, and personal experiences are relatively more positive. The analyses of the study, which reveal that perceptions of migrants differ significantly according to political party affiliation, show that although AK Party supporters hold largely negative views toward the government's migration policies and the admission of new migrants, they evaluate the economic and social aspects of migrants more positively than CHP supporters. On the other hand, supporters of both parties display negative attitudes toward granting citizenship to migrants, their deportation, and issues related to security and crime.