Displaced Childhoods: Health, Education, and Criminalization of Immigrant Children in the Turkish Context

Immigrant children constitute one of the most at-risk populations within global displacement dynamics, facing multifaceted challenges in health, education, protection, and integration.This study examines these vulnerabilities with a specific focus on the Turkish context, where large-scale migration flows-particularly following the Syrian conflict-have intensified systemic gaps in service provision and legal protections.The paper analyzes key issues such as limited access to healthcare and schooling, child labor, psychosocial stress, and exposure to abuse, especially among unaccompanied minors.It highlights how structural inequalities, legal ambiguities, and socio-economic deprivation intersect to deepen exclusion and hinder rights realization.The findings underscore the need for comprehensive, rights-based, and child-centered policies, implemented through coordinated efforts between state institutions, civil society, and international agencies.Addressing these issues is critical not only for the well-being of immigrant children but also for fostering social cohesion and sustainable development in host communities.