Uninstitutionalized regional integration: a comparative analysis of migration governance and migrant integration in the Organization of Turkic States

Abstract This study comparatively examines the level and patterns of institutionalization of migrant integration in the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Focusing on Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Türkiye, the study investigates how integration is positioned across different policy areas and discusses the governance dynamics that may explain the observed institutionalization patterns. The study is based on directed content analysis of national legislation and policy documents that were in force or constituted the relevant policy framework during the 2010–2026 study period, supplemented by OTS and international organization documents used for contextual analysis. The eight policy areas of MIPEX were used as the analytical reference framework, and the intensity of integration institutionalization was comparatively assessed through a qualitative evaluation framework based on normative recognition, administrative mechanisms, and rights-based scope. The findings show that integration policies are relatively more visible, particularly in the area of labor market access; however, institutional intensity remains lower in areas such as political participation, long-term residency, and combating discrimination. This suggests that integration is positioned not as an autonomous multidimensional membership regime, but rather as a complementary element of regulatory and economically focused migration management. The study interprets this pattern in relation to a governance logic formed by the intersection of the assumption of transience, security-based governance, and economic instrumentalization, and proposes the concept of “uninstitutionalized regional integration” as an original contribution to the migration governance literature. The findings suggest that the institutionalization of integration is shaped not only by migration intensity or administrative capacity, but also by governance rationalities that define migrants’ position within the political and social order.