The Comparative Analysis of Life Satisfaction Among Syrian, Iranian, and Afghan refugees in Turkey: The case of Denizli

Abstract

In this study, the survey method was used to analyse the life satisfaction of three different refugee groups that are Syrian, Iranian, and Afghan who lives in the Denizli province of Turkey. According to the outcomes of in-depth interviews and surveys conducted on 150 refugees, the most common reason for immigrating to Turkey is the civil war-factor. The survey results show that the Afghan refugees' level of income increased compared to that of before immigration. Afghan and Syrian refugees are more satisfied with their lives in Turkey compared to Iranian immigrants. Besides, uneducated and male refugees, living in a country with the same religion as the departure country are more satisfied than other immigrants. Therefore Iranian immigrants, most of whom are not Muslim, are planning to migrate again from Turkey to more advanced economies. In sum, the results of this study indicate that the major factors affecting life satisfaction of immigrants are educational status, religion, gender, and income.