Illegal migration problem in Turkey

Illegal migration is an issue that started to receive increased attention at the end of the Cold War era. Our rapidly globalizing society witnessed a large growth in international migration and refugee flows due to increased political turmoil in a unipolar world, the blurring of international boundaries, and the enhancement of communication and transportation infrastructure. This growth surpassed the capacity of developed countries to handle legal immigration and influx of refugees, which together with associated socio-economic, cultural, and security problems combined to raise the profile of this problem.Illegal migration is not just a challenge faced by developed regions like North America and the European Union; it also poses difficulties for industrializing countries. Turkey is especially concerned with this issue due to its geographic position and economic situation. Our country has the characteristic of being a ?transit point for illegal migration networks and is at times both a ?sending country? and ?receiving country?.After outlining the framework of illegal migration and other related concepts, this thesis examines the historical backdrop of illegal migration as well as its causes, dimensions, and consequences. Finally, this thesis will touch upon Turkey?s struggle with illegal migration and its European Union harmonization efforts within this context.