Comparative Migration Studies (May 2023)

Immigrants and refugees, tourists and vagabonds: why and how they integrate differently

  • Çetin Çelik

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-023-00339-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 19

Abstract

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Abstract This paper investigates the integration of immigrants and refugees by drawing on Bauman's conceptual distinction of tourists and vagabonds. Through qualitative interviews with immigrants and refugees in Istanbul, the study highlights differences in their networks, perceptions of the city, the nature and conditions of their stay, and their sense of being welcomed. The study illustrates, differences in resources, status, and the host society's ethno-racial hierarchy result in different adaptation processes. The study's findings contribute to scholarship on ethnicity and migration by comparatively revealing potential variations in refugee integration.

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