EU's Effect on Turkish Civil Societies Working in the Asylum System

This book examines the role of domestic civil society organizations (CSOs) working in Turkeys asylum system and how these organizations have been affected by the European Union (EU) pre-accession process. The findings conclude that both the service-providing and human rights organizations working in the asylum system have an invaluable role to protect both refugee rights and provide asylum seekers and refugees with psycho-social support. The EU pre-accession process has had a positive influence on functions and activities of these organizations through the legal reforms made in the context of the asylum policy and laws of associations and foundations. Nevertheless, these CSOs are still largely dependent on the state, they cannot influence state policies and decisions, they are not effective actors of the democratization process and its consolidation in state-society relations.

Gözde Arasil completed her bachelor degree in International Relations at Istanbul Kultur University and she studied Oresund Master's Programme of European Studies at Malmö University. Her research interests are the topics of migration, asylum systems, european security and globalization.