Migration Policies of the European Union and Turkey with special Consideration of the 2016 Readmission Agreement

Abstract

In the second half of the twentieth century, an increase in the rate of irregular migration was observed, caused by conflicts that threatened human life. Since the 1990s, the EU has developed various mechanisms to control external migration. In the 1990s and later, there have been more migrants to Europe than in previous periods. This situation caused the European Union to develop a policy of common strength. At the same time, Turkey became a significant country with respect to migration routes, being situated between Europe and the home countries of most migrants since the 1990s: the former Soviet countries and the Middle East. This research contribution aims at examining and analyzing the foreign and immigration policies of the European Union and Turkey. It will examine not only the internal policies on the migration of both the European Union and Turkey but also the relationship between these two sides, especially after 2011 with the beginning of the Syrian civil war and the movements of forced migration. In particular, this paper will focus on the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement of March 2016