La Turquie forme un cadre exceptionnel pour l’étude de la question d’asile dans le sens où les politiques mises en œuvre concernant ce sujet ne correspondent pas à la complexité de la réalité sur ce territoire. C’est l’un des rares pays au monde qui applique – encore aujourd’hui - la Convention de Genève avec deux réserves, géographique et temporelle. Cette version de la Convention indique que seuls les réfugiés et demandeurs d’asile « européens » fuyant des événements antérieurs au 1er Janvier 1951 peuvent demander le statut de réfugiés auprès de l’Etat turc. En conséquence, aujourd’hui, l’Etat turc ne délivre pas le statut de réfugié aux demandeurs d’asile non-européens mais fournit seulement un statut temporaire. Les personnes, qui obtiennent le statut de réfugié d’après la définition internationale, sont autorisées à rester dans le pays uniquement jusqu’à ce que leur réinstallation dans un pays tiers soit organisée par le Haut Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les Refugiés (HCR).Basée sur des recherches effectuées sur les demandeurs d’asile iraniens à Van, une ville frontière de l’est de la Turquie, cette étude analyse le fonctionnement du processus de légalisation des personnes dans un contexte transitoire en se concentrant sur la relation entre les différents acteurs : les Etats, le HCR, les acteurs informels et les demandeurs d’asile. Elle explore la relation simultanée entre la légalité, la temporalité et le statut de réfugié à trois différents niveaux : local, national et transnational. Cette étude examine comment le statut transitoire du demandeur d’asile structure la relation de l’individu avec la légalité et comment il oriente la personne dans ses stratégies politiques et l’organisation de sa (sur)vie pendant cette période. Ainsi sont étudiées les conséquences des notions de légalité et temporalité sur l’expérience des demandeurs d’asile en Turquie. / Despite the increasing number of people entering Turkey as asylum seekers, the Turkish state has maintained the “rule of geographical reservation” that does not allow non- European asylum seekers to remain in Turkey as refugees. Accordingly, the on-going asylum system does not offer refugee status for non-European asylum seekers, but merely provides a temporary status. So-called “Temporary Guest”, these individuals are only allowed to stay within the country until their resettlement in a third country has been arranged by the United Nations for High Commissariat of refugee. This research concerns itself with the study of the experiences of Iranian asylum seekers and refugees residing in Van, a border satellite city in Eastern Turkey, currently in the process of transition. It analyzes the experience of being a refugee and being “in transit” in a country geographically proximate to the country of one’s origin. It examine individuals’ legalization struggle within transitory, local, national and transnational context by focusing on interacted/intersected relationship between states, international refugee regime, informal actors and asylum applicants. In so doing, it suggest exploring the ways in which legality and temporality come to be so intricately related as to form one’s refugee experience in Turkey.

In February 2022 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started the war that would lead to the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. In response to the war, SWAN, the Swedish Artists Residency Network, initiated the project Emergency residencies. During 2022, the network’s artist residencies opened up to provide safety for Ukrainian artists fleeing the war. Through an ethnographic case study and in-depth interviews, this thesis explores the experiences of four Ukrainian musicians in times of war and displacement, that took part of the Emergency residencies. It also investigates the function of SWAN’s Emergency residencies for musicians facing forced migration. The purpose is to shed light on the experience of musicians in a refugee position and the residency as a space that may contribute to uphold music-making and musical labour for refugee artists.   This thesis uses a transdisciplinary approach. It draws on notions of music as an emotional resource, music becoming political, and theoretical concepts regarding identity, belonging, and detachment, as well as translocality and transcultural capital. SWAN’s Emergency residencies is shown to provide several benefits for musicians displaced during Russia’s war on Ukraine. It includes the contribution of economic resources, opportunities for artistic practice and development, and promotion of cultural understanding and social inclusion. It also suggests that typical benefits provided by artist residencies gain added value for artists experiencing war and displacement, as it answers to losses typically experienced in forced migration. The war and refugee position are embedded in the daily experience of musicians facing war and displacement. This thesis suggests that musicians can use various strategies to either enforce, dismiss, expand or change the view of their prescribed identity in relation to the war and the refugee position. A Ukrainian identity is enhanced to show pride of their country, create awareness of Ukraine’s situation or foster a sense of belonging. Music can also be used to detach from positions and preconceptions surrounding such labels and connections, either through performing other identities or releasing from all categories. Furthermore, music and music-making can act as an emotional resource that helps regulate emotions or become a vehicle for political mobilisation and support for Ukraine. The politicisation of music is also actualised by the refugee position in itself and public perceptions of such positions. Transcultural capital highlights the capacities and strategies of musicians to create various economic, cultural and social opportunities through links to both their host and home country.