Elif Aydin

Once again Europe finds itself amidst an immigration crisis. The war in Ukraine and the consequent refugee wave of more than 4.8 million people have certainly put cities, infrastructures, and governments to the test. It is more clear than ever that for our cities to survive the sudden political, social, and environmental shocks, which will become even more frequent in the future as a result of climate change, we need to rethink the way we build and manage our cities. Policies that focus on building inclusive, affordable, and cosmopolitan cities that aim for the long-term integration of all members of society, should be prioritised.

Our Urban Reality

More than 4 billion people worldwide live in urban areas, and this number is expected to go up to 7 billion by 2050. In the last 2 centuries, cities have become bigger, richer, and more cosmopolitan. They have become centres of commerce and culture, as more than 80% of global economic activity is concentrated in urban areas (Ritchie & Roser, 2018). However, this rapid trend in urbanisation does not necessarily mean that our cities were built to last or that they can successfully adapt to sudden changes.

Immigration is a part of our modern urban reality. According to the World Bank, the concept of sustainable cities and communities have 4 key dimensions. The first is environmental sustainability and cleanliness, the second is communities that are resilient to social, political, and natural shocks, the third is inclusive communities that bring all dimensions of society and different groups of people together and the fourth is competitive communities that are productive and can generate jobs for all members of society (The World Bank, 2022). But how can cities redistribute their resources equally and come up with strategies that allow for successful long-term integration after a sudden wave of immigration? To answer this question, I would like to take you to the city of Gaziantep.

Figure 1: The city of Gaziantep

Gaziantep at the forefront of the Syrian refugee crisis

It has been 11 years since the start of the conflict in Syria and more than 13.5 million people have been displaced as a result of it (Reid, 2021). The three main destinations for Syrian refugees have been their neighbouring neighbouring countries: Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. According to the official report of UNHCR, Turkey is home to around 3.5 million Syrians, however, the actual number is thought to be much higher due to unregistered refugees (UNHCR, 2021). The policies of the Turkish government regarding the management of the refugee crisis have received heavy criticism from the Turkish public and the international audience. However, a small city located in Southeastern Turkey might prove to us that when it comes to managing a refugee or an immigration crisis, local governments can play an equally, if not more important, role than national governments. 

Gaziantep is a medium-sized Turkish city located just 2 hours away from Aleppo. The city has been home to many ethnicities and cultures throughout history and has had a close cultural connection with its neighbour across the border. Before the war started, Gaziantep had a medium-sized population of 1.5 million. Within 24 hours alone the city took in 200000 Syrian refugees fleeing the conflict. Overall, around 500000 Syrian refugees are living in Gaziantep today, making it the 2nd largest Syrian community in Turkey after Istanbul. Even though there is a shared cultural connection between the locals of Gaziantep and the refugees from Syria, it cannot be denied that this sudden population increase put a huge strain on the city’s resources. Especially affected areas were; housing, water, energy, public transport, and healthcare. As a result of the Turkish government’s policy to integrate refugees into cities rather than housing them in refugee camps, the rents in the city skyrocketed. As Southeastern Turkey is a textile production hub, there is a huge demand for unskilled labor in the area. Many employers took advantage of the vulnerable refugee population by hiring and paying them incredibly low wages, instead of hiring Turkish citizens who would at least demand minimum wage. This competitive job market and resource scarcity created tension between the two communities (Burgen, 2019). So how did this relatively small city manage to resolve this resource conflict between the two communities and come up with successful strategies for integration?

In the early days of the refugee crisis, the municipality used short-term strategies to put out the fire. After the initial crisis management stage however, the city started focusing on long-term strategies for integration. One of the first strategies that was adopted by the city’s municipal government was establishing a “Migration Management Department”, the first of its kind in the country. The city was also quick to realise that in order to implement successful integration policies, cooperation between national and local governments, in addition to support from international organisations is necessary. The city then went on to host an “International Forum on Local Solutions to Migration and Displacement” to bring these actors together. At this event, “The Gaziantep Declaration” was signed, which highlights the importance of transitioning from emergency to resilience approach in migration and displacement responses (Yalcin, 2022).

Conclusion

Syria and Ukraine are just two examples from a long list of humanitarian crises that have left millions of people displaced and in search of a new home. As we move closer to the end of this decade, we will also start seeing more and more people having to leave their homes as a result of climate disasters. Most refugees and immigrants will choose urban areas as their new homes. We no longer have the luxury of turning a blind eye to urban population growth predictions when talking about sustainable cities and communities. We have to start viewing immigration as a reality to be managed rather than a problem to be solved. Yes, there is still a long way to go regarding the integration of Syrian refugees in Turkish cities. However, the example of Gaziantep shows us that even in the wake of one of the worst humanitarian crises the modern world has ever seen, with the right policies and leadership, it is possible to build inclusive, affordable, and equal cities for all members of society.

Bibliography

Burgen, S. (2019, June 19). How a small Turkish city successfully absorbed half a million migrants. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/19/gaziantep-turkish-city-successfully-absorbed-half-a-million-migrants-from-syria

UNHCR. (2021, September 17). UNHCR Turkey – Fact Sheet September 2021 – EN. Retrieved from OPERATIONAL DATA PORTAL REFUGEE SITUATIONS: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/88664

Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2018, September). Urbanization. Retrieved from Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization

The World Bank. (2022). Sustainable Cities and Communities. Retrieved from The World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/sustainable-communities#1

Reid, K. (2021, July 13). Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help. Retrieved from World Vision: https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts#:~:text=About%206.8%20million%20Syrians%20are,in%20Syria%20need%20humanitarian%20assistance.

Yalcin, O. (2022). The Gaziantep Migration Model for Building a Resilient City for All in a Time of Crisis. Retrieved from The German Marshall Fund of the United States: https://www.gmfus.org/news/gaziantep-migration-model-building-resilient-city-all-time-crisis