Everyday experiences, main problems and coping strategies of asylum seekers: A case study in Eski̇şehi̇r

The main purpose of this dissertation is to examine the asylum-seekers' daily life experiences, the kind of problems they face in their daily life and what kind of coping strategies they develop. For this purpose, indepth interviews were conducted with the target group of the research. The target group includes the asylum-seekers from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Sub-Saharan Africa who are living in Eskişehir and waiting to be resettled in third coutries. The data obtained from the field research was analysed with NVivo 11 qualitative data analysis software. Based on the findings of the research it can be asserted that the asylum-seekers who loose their citizenship rights as they cross the borders, face serious problems in their daily lives. These problems involve irregular work that is open to severe exploitation, housing with poor conditions, sense of isolation and ailenation especially during times of contact with the locals and state of liminality. As coping strategies with these problems, it is found out that asylum seekeres mobilize their social capital and develop a solidarity network within their group. Key W ords: Asylum-seekers, Irregular Migration, Subalternity, Social Ties,Disaffiliation, Eskişehir