This case report explores what happened when a coastal Mediterranean city in Turkey was transformed from a smuggling transit hub to Greece and the EU into a home for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees after the closing the Balkans Route in 2015. It shows how several of the city’s low to middle-income neighborhoods, especially the neighborhood of Basmane, have undergone increased demand for affordable housing and a revival of Syrian-owned small businesses. However, the city’s already limited healthcare and education systems have been further stressed by the increase in population.
Makhanda, South Africa
The Makhanda case report compares the experiences of migrants integrating to a small African town named Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) to the experiences of those living in South Africa’s major urban centers like Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. It explores how perceptions of insecurity from xenophobic, racist attacks vary from major cities to small towns; migrants’ economic and social impact on the town of Makhanda; and how the limited presence of migration management offices in small towns can both benefit and make difficult the integration attempts of migrants. It draws from the experiences of the author, a Zimbabwean migrant who has lived both in Cape Town and Makhanda, South Africa.
Bloemfontein, South Africa
The Bloemfontein case report explores the way migrants from across Africa have succeeded and struggled with integration to a major urban center in South Africa. It looks not only at their experiences, but also the ways in which migrants have transformed the local economy and the culture of certain neighborhoods. The report’s author is herself a Zimbabwean migrant to South Africa who draws on her own experiences living and working in the area.
Beirut, Lebanon
This case report explores the ways members of the LGBTQI+ Syrian refugee community survive in Beirut, Lebanon amidst extreme prejudice from much of the Lebanese population, the Lebanese government, and other Syrians. It describes the severe limitations to integration in Beirut for this population because of social pressures, healthcare limitations, difficulty finding livelihoods, and legal barriers. The author is a member of the LGBTQI+ refugee community who lived in Beirut.