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Dr Zeynep Şahin-Mencütek

Dr Zeynep Şahin-Mencütek

Senior Researcher

contact by phone

+49 228 911 96-66

contact by mobile

+49 228 911 96-66

contact by e-mail

zeynep.mencutek(at)bicc.de

Expertise

Research Profile

Zeynep’s research interests in comparative migration studies, migration governance, diaspora studies and return migration. She has published single and co-authored studies in a wide variety of international peer-reviewed journals in the area of migration, such as Journal of Refugee Studies, Comparative Migration Studies, as well as journals in the area of international politics, including Geopolitics, Journal of Global Security Studies, International Studies Review. Besides dozens of book chapters, she also published monograph, Refugee Governance, State and Politics in the Middle East(Routledge 2018) and recently co-author book, Syrian Refugees in Turkey (IMISCOE Series, 2023). 

Research Topics / Key Expertise

Comparative Migration Studies

Politics of Migration

Migration and Refugee Governance

Return and Reintegration

Gender and Politics

International Politics of Middle East

Diaspora Studies 

Countries Of Expertise

  • Turkey,
  • Lebanon,
  • Jordan

Professional Career

Zeynep Şahin Mencütek is currently Senior Researcher at bicc, where she led a comparative project on return and reintegration until February 2023. She is also Research Affiliate with Canadian Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, Toronto Metropolitan University and conduct joint research on the thematic area of Governance of Migration in a Globalizing World. She held the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (June 2020–May 2021) and an international fellowship at the Centre for Global Cooperation Research in Duisburg (2019–2020). She also served as Senior Researcher for the Horizon 2020 project RESPOND: Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond. Previously, she worked as an Assistant Professor in Turkey, and in 2018 achieved the rank of Docent in the field of international relations. Zeynep received her PhD in politics and international relations from the University of Southern California in 2011.

Important Publications

Vollmer, R., & Sahin-Mencutek, Z.

Experimentation and Extraction in Reintegration Governance: the case of Kosovo

(2023)

Open

Fakhoury, T., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Geopolitics of Return Migration in the International System

(2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Tsourapas, G.

When Do States Repatriate Refugees? Evidence from the Middle East

(2022)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Gökalp Aras, N., & Kaya, A., & Rottmann, S.

Syrian Refugees in Turkey. Between Reception and Integration

Springer Cham (2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Governing practices and strategic narratives for the Syrian refugee returns

(2021)

Open

Publications

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Yilmaz-Elmas, F.

GAPs Data Repository on Return: Guideline, Data Samples and Codebook

(2024)

Open

Mielke, K., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Wolf, D.

Legal and Policy Infrastructures of Returns in Germany

GAPs , Bonn (2024)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Dincer, O.

Dilemmas of Interventions in Northern Syria. Refugee Return, Reconstruction, and Displacements

I.B. Tauris , London (2024)

Open

Triandafyllidou, A., & Erdal, M., & Marchetti, S., & Raghuram, P., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Salamońska, J., & Scholten, P., & Vintila, D.

Rethinking Migration Studies for 2050

(2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Meininghaus, E.

Syrian Refugee Returns, Reintegration Experiences and Risks

(2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Barthoma, S.

No place for refuge and no place for (eventual) return of Palestinians in Gaza

(2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Triandafyllidou, A., & Barthoma, S., & Nimer, M., & Rottman, S., & Ozturk, N., & Istaiteyeh, R.

Framework paper on the concepts and typologies on returns - combined with four conceptual notes

(2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Kurt, M.

The politicization of refugees in Turkey’s elections is not yet over with local elections on the way...

(2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Mielke, K., & Schmitz-Pranghe, C., & Vollmer, R.

When Returning Home Feels Like Hell

IPS Journal (2023)

Open

Mielke, K., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Schmitz-Pranghe, C., & Vollmer, R.

Zurück zu Hause oder zurück "in der Hölle"?

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Nashwan, A.

The Jordanian Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis from a Resilience Perspective

E-International Relations Publishing , Bristol (2023)

Open

Fakhoury, T., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Geopolitics of Return Migration in the International System

(2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Gökalp Aras, N., & Kaya, A., & Rottmann, S.

Syrian Refugees in Turkey. Between Reception and Integration

Springer Cham (2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Role of Return Preparedness, Assistance and Networks in Returnees’ Reintegration in Origin Countries (Synthesis Report)

BICC , Bonn (2023)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Tsourapas, G.

When Do States Repatriate Refugees? Evidence from the Middle East

(2022)

Open

Kayaoglu, A., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Chang, C.

Challenges and Resilience Strategies of Urban Refugee Entrepreneurs,

, Economic Research Forum, Working Paper No. 1601 (2022)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Geopolitics of Returns: Geopolitical Reasoning and Space-Making in Turkey’s Repatriation Regime

(2022)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Institutionalization of “Voluntary” Returns in Turkey

(2022)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Barthoma, S., & Gökalp Aras, N., & Triandafyllidou, A.

A crisis mode in migration governance: comparative and analytical insights

(2022)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Voluntary and Forced Return Migration Under a Pandemic Crisis

Springer , Cham (2022)

Open

Gökalp Aras, N., & Papatzani, E., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Leivaditi, N., & Petracou, E.

Governance of Refugee Protection: Challenges in Europe and Beyond

Uppsala University , Uppsala (2021)

Open

Kaya, A., & Rottmann, S., & Gökalp Aras, N., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Turkey: Border Management, Protection, Reception, and Integration of Refugees

Uppsala University , Uppsala (2021)

Open

Koinova, M., & Deloffre, M., & Gadinger, F., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Scholte, J., & Steffek, J.

It’s Ordered Chaos: What Really Makes Polycentrism Work

Oxford Academic , Oxford (2021)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Kayaoglu, A.

Return Aspirations of Syrian Refugees in Turkey

(2021)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Karal, D., & Altıntop, İ.

Governance of Refugee Children Protection in Turkey: Between Vulnerability and Paternalism

(2021)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Barthoma, S., & Gökalp Aras, N.

Governance of migration in and through crisis: A comparative report on RESPOND research (Working Paper 2021/77). RESPOND: <br />Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond Project#770564 Horizon2020.https://www.respondmigration.com/wp-blog/.

(2021)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Narratives on returning refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants (Working paper no. 2021/2). Toronto: Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement/CERC in Migration and Integration.

(2021)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Governing practices and strategic narratives for the Syrian refugee returns

(2021)

Open

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Gökalp Aras, N., & Balamir Coşkun, B.

Turkey’s response to Syrian mass migration: A neoclassical realist analysis

(2021)

Open

Nashwan, A., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The employment of Syrians in Jordan: Main trends and challenges. MENASP Network (November 2020 Guest Blog Post). https://www.menasp.com/en/opinion/the-employment-of-syrians-in-jordan-main-trends-and-challenges/.

(2020)

Open

Gökalp Aras, N., & Papatzani, E., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Leivaditi, N., & Petracou, E.

Refugee protection in Europe and beyond – Comparative report. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3975028.

(2020)

Open