The “Migration and Uncertainty: Migration from the Perspective of Host and Immigrant Communities in the Uncertainty of Borders” Symposium, hosted by the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul Medeniyet University, was held on May 8, 2025 at the Ziraat Bank Hall of the Central Library of our University. Based on Türkiye’s Syrian refugee experience, the symposium addressed the phenomenon of migration theoretically and practically in light of different scientific approaches in terms of the experiences and expectations of both the host society and the immigrants, and aimed to develop a holistic and comprehensive academic approach to the subject by bringing together academics from various disciplines.
The symposium brought together academics and experts from different disciplines such as psychology, law, philosophy and sociology, where comprehensive discussions were held on the social, psychological and legal dimensions of migration and uncertainty. Speakers presented in-depth analyses on how migration is not only a physical movement but also how it transforms individuals' identities, social ties and the legal system.
The speakers at the symposium, which was held in two sessions, were Dr. Hüseyin Çakal, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yaylagül Ceran Karataş, Av. Abdulhalim Yılmaz, Dr. Lecturer Latif Karagöz, Res. Asst. Sümeyye Akar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şeyda Eruyar, Res. Asst. Dr. Yasemin Camcı and Lecturer Dr. Büşra Kızık.
In the first session, Dr. Hüseyin Çakal addressed “Host-Migrant Relations from a Social Psychology Perspective.” Then, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yaylagül Ceran KARATAŞ addressed the topic of “Migration and Nomadism in the Refraction of Uncertainty: Posthuman Debates in the Context of Decentralization, Intersectionality, and Entanglement.” Attorney Abdulhalim YILMAZ discussed the legal status of immigrants in Türkiye and made his presentation titled “The Situation of Immigrants in Türkiye Between the Principle of Legal Certainty and the Reality of De facto Uncertainty.” Dr. Lecturer Latif Karagöz addressed the moral dimension of racism in his presentation “Immigration between Post-Truth Discourse, Racism, and Ambiguous Morality.” Finally, Res. Asst. In her presentation titled “Moral Motivations in Host-Immigrant Relations within the Framework of Relationship Regulation Theory”, Sümeyye Akar discussed within a theoretical framework how the moral orientations of individuals are shaped in relationships established with immigrants.
In the second session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şeyda Eruyar explained the effects of forced migration and voluntary return processes on children's mental health. Additionally, Res. Asst. Dr. Yasemin Camcı examined the relationship between media and migration with her presentation titled “Construction of Uncertainty in the Press: Variability of Social Representations of Syrian Refugees in the Turkish Press in the Context of Politics.” In her presentation titled “Where is Homeland, Where is Foreign Land? Refugees' Return Intentions in the Light of Uncertainty,” Lecturer Dr. Büşra Kızık analyzed refugees' perceptions of their homeland and their desire to return from a sociological perspective.
The symposium was enriched with the contributions of speakers from different fields. The theoretical and practical information presented in each session allowed for a better understanding of the effects of migration on social dynamics. Participants focused on critical issues such as migration, borders, identity, law and cultural interaction, and presented a multidimensional understanding of this complex issue.