Deportation of Foreigners in Turkey: What Has Changed After the Law On Foreigners and International Protection and the Creation of the Directorate General of Migration Management? Evidence from Kocaeli

Historically, the deportation of foreigners has been considered as an indispensable tool used by nation states firstly for the construction of their “imagined communities” and then for the implementation of their migration policies. In this regard, Turkey has not been an exception. As it is rapidly becoming a country of immigration, the deportation of foreigners has become an essential tool for its migration policies. Based on different research, in this paper, we will analyse the deportation of foreigners in Turkey with a focus on the Law on Foreigners and International Protection and the Directorate General of Migration Management founded recently. We will try to explain some of the main changes in the case of the Kocaeli district after April 2014 when the above-mentioned Law entered into force. Evidence shows that despite contrary claims and the changes in legal framework, the deportation process is still being directed by police officers as it used to be before this law.

, 2016