Uzbek Migrants in Türkiye: Gender, Satisfaction in Türkiye, and Return Intentions

Abstract

This study examines the life satisfaction of migrants from Uzbekistan who have individually chosen Türkiye as a migration destination. Within the significant migration flows from post-Soviet countries to Türkiye, female migrants, including migrants from Uzbekistan, outnumber male migrants at least two to one. This gendered influx into Türkiye is puzzling: studies on labor migration from Central Asia overall show that male migrants outnumber females by orders of magnitude, which is explained by normative attitudes that women should stay at home. This article contributes to understandings of gendered migration flows through attention to women migrants' explanations of their satisfaction with employment in Türkiye in relation to their migration goals.