Assessing the Development Displacement Nexus in Turkey | Working Paper

The ongoing Syria conflict has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises of the century, forcefully displacing nearly 12 million Syrians from their homes. As of July 2018, the number of those fleeing the conflict and seeking asylum in neighbouring countries had surpassed 5.6 million (UNHCR, 2018). With the highest concentrations of Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, both displaced Syrians and their host communities face increasing and protracted challenges. Turkey, which shares its longest land border with Syria, is one of the countries most affected by the conflict and the subsequent refugee influx. In 2015, Turkey became the world’s largest refugee-hosting country in absolute numbers. More than 3.5 million Syrians were registered under temporary protection in Turkey as of July 2018 (DGMM, 2018b). Among the major refugee-hosting countries in the region, Turkey currently has the largest population of Syrian refugees.