Understanding the local dynamics of Syrian refugee integration through the eyes of refugees and local residents: the case of the Ȍnder Neighbourhood, Ankara

Abstract

As the civil war in Syria continues and the displaced Syrians continue to become ‘urban refugees’ in their settled (host) countries since 2011, policy/political attention has shifted to refugee emplacement and integration. Despite the growing policy-oriented literature on integration, limited attention has gone to developing actor-oriented approaches to uncover the local dynamics of refugee integration by giving a voice to both refugees and local people. Attempting to address this gap in the literature, this article presents the views of Syrian refugees and local people on the integration process through the findings of a case study conducted in the Önder neighbourhood of Ankara, Turkey; known as ‘Little Aleppo.’ The findings portray the social, economic, political and spatial dimensions of Syrians’ integration at the local level from both parties’ perspectives and reveal the local drivers of and barriers to Syrians’ integration in Önder.