(Im)permanent Settlement: Protracted Displacement and Secondary Movement Experiences of Syrian Refugees from Turkey to Austria

In 2022, Austria experienced a significant surge in Syrian arrivals. Unlike refugees arriving to Europe in 2015/2016, who predominantly embarked on direct journeys from Syria, most of the recently admitted cohort experienced protracted displacement in Turkey. During these prolonged periods in transit, individuals’ fundamental rights and essential economic, social, and psychological needs frequently remained unmet, due to the weak Temporary Protection Status they were granted in Turkey and rising tensions with the local population. To assess protracted displacement histories of recently arrived Syrians in Austria, we employ a qualitative approach with four qualitative focus group discussions, 17 semi-structured interviews (in total N = 29) and an additional online questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics to support the qualitative data collection. Furthermore, expert interviews (N = 21) help to contextualize the situation of recently arrived Syrians in Austria and assess differences to the first cohort of arrivals (2015–2016). Our results reflect the marginalizing dynamics encountered by Syrians who underwent impermanent settlement experiences and their multidimensional experience of socio-economic marginalization in Turkey. This includes limited employment opportunities and economic deprivation, limited access to education as well as experiences of racial discrimination, harassment, violence, and state-sanctioned deportations. These have added to their eventual secondary migration to the EU. Our study allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the (im)permanent settlement challenges faced by refugee populations with Temporary Protection such as applied to Syrians in Turkey.