The migration of Afghanistan hazaras to Turkey in the context of theories on international migration and integration: Case of Trabzon

In the 21st century; hundreds of people have become obliged to immigrate every year because of wars, national and international conflicts of interest, natural disasters, climate changes, famine, starvation, and epidemic diseases occurring in many parts of the world. Particularly with the increase in transportation and communication opportunities, the issue of international migration has become globally more visible in recent years. Afghanistan; which is the cornerstone of Eurasia, has a historical process of being the source country of many refugees and asylum seekers in the world. The most basic elements that shape this process include the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics' invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Taliban's coming to power in 1992, the start of the civil war, the attacks of terrorist groups, the conflicts between ethnic and religious groups, and the USA's intervention against al-Qaeda after the terrorist attacks of September 11, etc. Moreover; because of the lack of political and economic stability in the country, lack of safety of life, and poverty and illness (physical and psychological); people feel the need to leave their place of residence and immigrate far and wide all over the world for the safety of their lives and the hope for a better life. In this study, the immigration experiences and integration status of the Hazaras residing in Trabzon province were investigated. The mixed research method; in which both quantitative and qualitative research methods are employed, was used in this study. A questionnaire form comprising closed-ended questions within the scope of quantitative research and an interview form comprising semi-structured questions for qualitative research were developed for the purposes of this study. From the Hazara population, 80 individuals were surveyed and 16 individuals (8 women and 8 men) were interviewed within the scope of the research. The individuals in the research group were recruited with the snowball sampling technique.Of the main results of the study; the prominent ones include that the Hazaras illegally entered Turkey; they faced with serious problems (housing, employment, health, education, etc.) both both before and after the immigration; they do not want to return to Afghanistan; and that Hazaras residing in Trabzon province have not integrated to the society and the system yet. Keywords: International Migration, Integration, Cultural Communication, Identity, Afghanistan.