The findings of the research project titled “Transitory, Temporary, and Permanent Lives in Istanbul: Diverse Future Plans and Socialization Dynamics of Registered and Unregistered Migrants”, conducted within the Department of Sociology at Ibn Haldun University, were presented at the International Sociological Association (ISA) World Congress, held in Rabat, Morocco, between July 7–11, 2025.
The project was carried out under the leadership of our department chair Prof. Dr. Ramazan Aras and Assist. Prof. Arzu Ünal. The research team included our Sociology MA and PhD students Melahat Göktaş, Saleh Ibrahim Hafez, Ensar Kül, Besra Betül Topkaya, Beyzagül Öztürk, and Afaf Naimi, as well as Muhammed Yasir Bodur from Sakarya University.
As part of the fieldwork conducted in the districts of Fatih, Zeytinburnu, and Esenyurt, the research team engaged with Syrian, Afghan, and Sub-Saharan African migrants to examine their everyday relationships with the city, uncertainties surrounding their legal status, access to housing and healthcare services, experiences of social exclusion, and future plans.
Within the scope of the congress, three presentations were delivered under the following titles: "Commodification, Exploitation and Vulnerability: (Un)Documented Afghan Migrant Workers in Istanbul" by Prof. Dr. Ramazan Aras, Melahat Göktaş and Ensar Kül: "Changes in Migrants' Preferences for Socialization and Leisure Space: The Experiences of Syrian Migrants in Istanbul" by Assist. Prof. Arzu Ünal, Saleh Ibrahim and Besra Betül Topkaya: "Emotion of Fear, Language and Body Politics: Narratives of Syrian Migrants in Istanbul" by Prof. Dr. Ramazan Aras, Beyzagül Öztürk and Besra Betül Topkaya.
We congratulate the project team for this significant contribution presented at an international platform and wish them continued success in advancing the field of social sciences.
