Syrian Migrants in the Dilemma of Return and Permanence: Sultanbeyli Municipality Migration Policies

As of December 8, 2024, discussions on the voluntary return of Syrian migrants from Türkiye have accelerated in Syria. In this study, Sultanbeyli Municipality—one of the districts in Istanbul hosting the largest migrant populations and implementing local policies for migrants—was selected as a case study. This study presents the services and policies implemented by Sultanbeyli Municipality for migrants since the 2011 crisis, the ongoing policies, and how these efforts might influence return migrations following the recent change in governance in Syria. The study was conducted on January 23-24, 2025, through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 9 individuals from Sultanbeyli Municipality and the Refugees and Asylum Seekers Assistance and Solidarity Association. Because of the interviews, there will not be an intensive return from the district in the discussions on permanence that came to the agenda with the new process. Therefore, in the next phase, policies should be developed that recognize permanence not as a failure of return but as a legitimate outcome of displacement, while also strengthening the services of local governments for migrants.