Attitudes of local people towards Syrian refugees who have migrated from their country due to the war: The case of Şanlıurfa province

Throughout history, people have been constantly on the move, emigrating to reach depleted natural resources, safe places, prosperity and a good life. Migration, as a modern phenomenon, has developed depending on industrialization and urbanization, and has been affected by the instability experienced in countries. Due to the political instability in our region, there has been a serious increase in immigration to our country, which has deepened some problems and created some new problems. The aim of the research is to examine the attitudes and behaviors of the local people living in Şanlıurfa towards the Syrians under Temporary Protection status who have immigrated from their country in terms of various variables. 350 people living in Şanlıurfa province participated in the research. In the study, the necessary data were obtained by using the personel information form in the form directed to the participants and the Attitudes Towards Refugees Scale. SPSS 22.0 program was used in the analysis of the data obtained. As a result of the analysis, it was seen that the data did not provide a normal distribution. Data that did not provide normal distribution were analyzed using non-parametric tests. According to the findings obtained from the research, while there was no significant difference between the participants' negative attitudes towards Syrians under Temporary protection status and the variables of age, gender, income, and employment status, it was concluded that there was a significant difference between the participants' negative attitudes towards refugees and their financial situation assessment and education level. It has been observed that the participants who communicate with and help Syrian refugees have a more positive attitude than the other participants.