MIPEX
MIPEX 2025 Results for Türkiye Discussed in Istanbul
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Türkiye, in cooperation with Migration Policy Group (MPG), presented the MIPEX 2025 results for Türkiye to the public through a high-level policy forum held at Istanbul Modern on 4 May 2026. Bringing together nearly 100 participants, the event convened policymakers, academics, practitioners, and civil society representatives to discuss the current state of migration and integration policies in Türkiye, their structural gaps, and future policy directions.
The Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) is widely recognized as one of the most comprehensive international benchmarks for assessing migrant integration policies comparatively, measuring how effectively countries support migrants’ participation in social, economic, and political life. By analyzing policy frameworks across key areas such as labor market mobility, education, health, access to nationality, and political participation, MIPEX provides an important point of reference for policymakers and researchers alike. The MIPEX 2025 results for Türkiye highlight the institutional progress the country has made in recent years in the field of integration policies, while also drawing attention to ongoing structural shortcomings, particularly in ensuring long-term stability, equal opportunities, and full participation. Detailed findings and the full country report for Türkiye are available in the MIPEX 2025 Türkiye Country Report.
The opening remarks of the event were delivered by Gülçin Sinav, Program Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Türkiye, and Amr Marei, Head of the Istanbul Field Unit at UNHCR. The opening session highlighted Türkiye’s evolving migration governance framework over the past 15 years, particularly in response to Syrian displacement, and emphasized the long-term sustainability of integration policies.
The first panel explored the MIPEX 2025 findings for Türkiye across three key dimensions. Başak Yavcan, Research Director at Migration Policy Group (MPG), assessed Türkiye’s position in the international landscape through global trends and comparative data. While Ayhan Kaya discussed the current framework on access to nationality, political participation, and anti-discrimination, Fulya Memişoğlu examined Türkiye’s strengths and weaknesses in family reunification, permanent residence, and labor market mobility. Gökay Özerim, in turn, underlined the critical role of education and health policies in the integration process. The panel highlighted that although Türkiye has made significant progress in several policy areas in recent years, important structural gaps remain in building long-term and sustainable integration policies.
The second panel focused on the practical implications of the MIPEX findings and the relationship between policy and implementation. M. Murat Erdoğan shared key reflections on Türkiye’s integration framework, while Halil İbrahim Akıncı assessed implementation gaps and existing constraints from the perspective of local governance. Ayşegül Eriş brought attention to the sociological dimensions of social cohesion and everyday lived experiences, while Halit Savafoğlu emphasized the importance of economic integration, entrepreneurship, and access to the labor market. Throughout the panel, speakers underlined that integration is not merely a legal framework, but also a process of social cohesion, economic participation, and mutual societal acceptance.
The closing session revisited the key findings, examples of good practices, and policy priorities that emerged throughout the day. The discussions highlighted Türkiye’s significant experience in migration governance while underlining the need for data-driven, inclusive, and long-term approaches to ensure sustainable and lasting integration policies.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Türkiye will continue to support data-driven policy discussions and strengthen dialogue in the fields of migration, integration, and social cohesion in the period ahead.
