Since 2014, Turkey has been hosting the largest number of refugees worldwide. Traditionally a country of origin and transit, it quickly transformed into a major destination country due to regional crises situations, such as the armed conflicts in Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic and the situation of the 3,6 million Syrians under temporary protection have dominated the Turkish migration policy debate. While the number of refugee and migrant arrivals to Turkey decreased in the first half of 2020, it remained continuously high for the Western Balkan countries, where the implemented border closures and travel restrictions further resulted in a magnitude of stranded migrants and an intensification of smuggling activities.

The new ICMPD's Regional Migration Outlook for Turkey and the Western Balkans briefly summarises the key migration and policy trends observed in 2020 and provides an outlook on the main developments to watch out for in 2021.

You may access the Outlook in English here.