Under What Conditions? Migrant Experiences in Combating Discrimination and Seeking Justice in Türkiye

Abstract This study explores migrants’ efforts to seek justice against discrimination in Türkiye and the barriers limiting access to legal mechanisms. Drawing on a phenomenological design, interviews were conducted with 33 NGO and INGO professionals across six provinces. Thematic analysis identifies three key findings: migrants are constructed as threatening “others” through public discourse, economic scapegoating, and spatial segregation; intersectional discrimination deepens vulnerabilities for women, children, elderly, disabled, and LGBTI+ migrants; and a “justice paradox” whereby strong legal frameworks coexist with limited accessibility, pushing migrants toward informal networks. Discrimination thus operates as a structural form of exclusion undermining effective legal protection.