Policy on refugees and migration
All topics-
Syrian refugees in Turkey
A hot button election issue, now more than ever
Turkey has taken in about 5.5 million refugees, many of them Syrians. Ahead of the May 14 parliamentary and presidential elections, almost all parties say they would send Syrians back if elected. By Elmas Topcu
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Afghan refugees in Portugal
Regenerating soil and soul
Human rights activists who fled the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan get the chance of a new start in life in Portugal thanks to a permaculture initiative focusing on ecology, agroforestry, social justice and solidarity. Marta Vidal reports
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Syrian refugees in Lebanon
No education for this generation?
More than a decade since hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled into neighbouring Lebanon, the educational level of the younger generation is disastrously low and their future prospects correspondingly dim. By Mona Naggar
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Turkish-Syrian relations
A menacing rapprochement
Any reconciliation between Turkey and Syria’s Assad regime would have disastrous consequences for many Syrians, explains Syria expert Kristin Helberg
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Migration from Tunisia
Why many young Tunisians set their sights on Europe
Tunisia has been going through a severe economic and political crisis in recent years. More than one in three young people there are unemployed. For many skilled, qualified and unemployed young Tunisians, the route to Europe, which lacks qualified personnel in many sectors, seems like the only way forward. By Marco Wolter
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Istanbul's migrant culture
Turkey's megacity is no melting pot
Istanbulites take pride in being the world’s melting pot and its natural outcome: having a bustling abundance of international cuisine. Visiting restaurants opened by recent migrants is often, however, a step too far. Ayse Karabat reports
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Migrating to Germany
Turks up sticks as prospects worsen at home
Inflation, poverty, and no freedom of expression: as the political and economic situation in Turkey worsens under Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasingly autocratic government, more and more Turks are fleeing to Germany. Elmas Topcu reports
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Human rights and migration
Why older Algerians risk the small boats to Spain
Nouara may be 65, but she is ready to join thousands of others who burn their ID and pay traffickers for the chance of a new life in Europe. Zineb Bettayeb reports
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Qatar 2022
Migrant workers enjoy FIFA World Cup on the cheap
Shafeeq Saqafi paid $3 for the Argentina shirt he proudly wore when he sat with 15,000 other migrant workers in a hidden corner of Doha to watch Lionel Messi's side salvage their World Cup
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Rabih Alameddine’s "The Wrong End of the Telescope"
We are all in search of a home
In “The Wrong End of the Telescope”, Rabih Alameddine draws us away from the headlines and into the personal story of one individual. Mina is complex, compelling and very real. By pulling us into her life and allowing us to see Lesbos through her eyes, the reality of the refugee camp comes alive. Richard Marcus read the book
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Interfaith cooperation and integration
Germany’s first Christian-Muslim kindergarten
Despite early learning being linked to better chances in later life, Muslim parents in Germany are currently less likely to send their kids to kindergarten. A pioneering interfaith project in Gifhorn presents an appealing alternative, promoting integration in partnership with local church and state actors. Arndt-Walter Emmerich reports
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The war in Syria
Overshadowed, yet still a major issue
The Syrian conflict remains insoluble for the time being. Yet Europe could start managing it better. By reorganising humanitarian aid supplies, becoming more involved in the northeast and coordinating initiatives in the northwest, it could alleviate hardship, counter extremism and bring hope, writes Kristin Helberg