bicc bicc

for a more peaceful world

Topics

Themes

Staff

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

Journal article

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

Experimentation and Extraction in Reintegration Governance: the case of Kosovo

(2023)

Open
Journal Article

Fakhoury, T., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Geopolitics of Return Migration in the International System

(2023)

Open
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Tsourapas, G.

When Do States Repatriate Refugees? Evidence from the Middle East

(2022)

Open
Book

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

Syrian Refugees in Turkey. Between Reception and Integration

Springer Cham (2023)

Open
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Governing practices and strategic narratives for the Syrian refugee returns

(2021)

Open

Publications

Report

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Durable Solutions for Syrian Refugees: Safe, Voluntary Returns and Beyond

Toronto Metropolitan University , Toronto (2024)

Open
Book

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Triandafyllidou, A., & Moghadam, A., & Kelly, M.

Migration and Cities: Conceptual and Policy Advances

Springer Cham (2024)

Open
Book chapter

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Gurses, U.

Governance and Politics of Migration in the Middle East

Edward Elgar Publishing , Cheltenham (2024)

Open
Report

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

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

(2024)

Open
Report

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

Legal and Policy Infrastructures of Returns in Germany

GAPs , Bonn (2024)

Open
Book chapter

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Dincer, O.

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

I.B. Tauris , London (2024)

Open

Journal article

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

Rethinking Migration Studies for 2050

(2023)

Open
Other

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Meininghaus, E.

Syrian Refugee Returns, Reintegration Experiences and Risks

(2023)

Open
Other

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Barthoma, S.

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

(2023)

Open
Report

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
Other

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
Other publications

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

When Returning Home Feels Like Hell

IPS Journal (2023)

Open
Other publications

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

Zurück zu Hause oder zurück "in der Hölle"?

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2023)

Open
Book chapter

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Nashwan, A.

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

E-International Relations Publishing , Bristol (2023)

Open
Journal Article

Fakhoury, T., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Geopolitics of Return Migration in the International System

(2023)

Open
Book

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

Syrian Refugees in Turkey. Between Reception and Integration

Springer Cham (2023)

Open
Other publications

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

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

BICC , Bonn (2023)

Open

Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Tsourapas, G.

When Do States Repatriate Refugees? Evidence from the Middle East

(2022)

Open
Other publications

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

Challenges and Resilience Strategies of Urban Refugee Entrepreneurs,

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

Open
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

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

(2022)

Open
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Institutionalization of “Voluntary” Returns in Turkey

(2022)

Open
Journal Article

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

A crisis mode in migration governance: comparative and analytical insights

(2022)

Open
Book chapter

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Voluntary and Forced Return Migration Under a Pandemic Crisis

Springer , Cham (2022)

Open

Book chapter

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
Book chapter

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

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

Uppsala University , Uppsala (2021)

Open
Journal Article

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
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Kayaoglu, A.

Return Aspirations of Syrian Refugees in Turkey

(2021)

Open
Journal Article

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

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

(2021)

Open
Other publications

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
Other publications

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
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Governing practices and strategic narratives for the Syrian refugee returns

(2021)

Open
Journal Article

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

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

(2021)

Open

Other publications

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
Other publications

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