Identifying the determinants of return migration among Syrian refugees: a comparative study between Turkey and Germany

As a response to the Syrian refugee crisis and in order to contribute to the informing of refugee policy, this research aims to highlight the voice of Syrian refugees in the debate on migration, refugees and repatriation as a solution to the refugee cycle. It examines the extent to which Syrian refugees intend to return to Syria or not given the political, economic and security related circumstances. It identifies the micro-level socioeconomic and contextual determinants of their returning decisions and the differences between them in Germany and Turkey. It also examines the impact of the media and information on the returning decision by exposing respondents to negative and positive information on returning to Syria. The quantitative data was supported by in-depth conversations with Syrian refugee respondents in both Turkey and Germany. Main findings include that the end of the war is not reason enough for people to return. That the decision to return is complex, inclusive of multiple socioeconomic and contextual factors and heavily vested in the reality of life in both the host and the home countries. We see that refugees in neighboring countries like Turkey are more likely to return compared to those further away in highly developed countries such as Germany, also that incentives do not influence the returning decision but that media and information can play a role. The research conclude that refugees can influenced by the level of development in the home country (in this case Syria) but that this again depends on their individual situations and contextual circumstances. It becomes clear that investing in infrastructure and health and education systems in the home country are crucial factors that influence return decision making with a safe political environment coming top in the case of Syria.