Ethical Community and Reciprocity Narratives: (Re-)Integration for Turkish Return Migrants from Germany and Syrian Migrants to Turkey

In recent years, migrant integration in Europe has become a key topic of concern for scholars and policy makers. Societal belonging has been analyzed in terms of legal, political, economic and cultural markers of inclusion. Increasingly, integration is seen as a mutual learning process involving both migrants and members of receiving communities, and new research is exploring xenophobic and welcoming attitudes in host communities as well as how cultural capital may facilitate integration for migrants. Moving beyond studies of integration markers and attitudes and drawing on the anthropology of ethics, reciprocity and integration, this paper examines the role of reciprocal exchange in integration for migrants to Turkey. By examining how narratives of reciprocity are involved in the (re-)integration struggles of Turkish return migrants from Germany and Syrian migrants to Turkey, this research highlights the agency of migrants and the role of hospitality and equality in integration processes. From exchanges of money and goods to assistance with job searches and childcare, a focus on reciprocity directs our attention to the ethical relationships that foster community membership.