The contribution of national and international NGOs to the integration of Syrian migrants in Turkey: A comparative review

There are host country organizations that facilitate the integration of immigrants and refugees into their country of residence. Today, the leading of these organizations are non-governmental organizations. In the process from emergency aid to integration, most of the aid and empowerment activities needed by Syrian immigrants in Turkey are carried out by NGOs. The dense immigrant population in the country has caused large international aid organizations to start their activities in Turkey. It can be said that these organizations have influenced national and local NGOs in Turkey in capacity building and brought a new working style. The types of activities of national and international NGOs were examined and their roles in the integration process were investigated. In this study, 20 people were interviewed, 9 of them working in national NGOs and 11 of them working in international NGOs in Turkey. The opinions of the participants about their experiences in the field, the difficulties encountered and the activities carried out since 2011 were conveyed. Contribution of the NGO activities about integration of Syrian immigrants, the obstacles to integration and suggestions are discussed.