Esra Kaytaz

Esra Kaytaz is an Assistant Professor at the Research Centre for Peace and Security. Her research focuses on migrant decision-making, risk in migration, and refugee policies, driven by her fieldwork with Afghan migrants in Turkey since 2003. She holds a Doctorate in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford (2015), an MPhil in Development Studies (2006), and a Degree in Archaeology and Anthropology (2003).

• Education: University of Oxford (2003–2015)

Her work examines gendered experiences of belonging among Afghan refugees in Europe (SNIS-funded project, 2017–2019) and investigates the 'return turn' in asylum policies through the TemPro project, analyzing how refugee status has become more temporary in the UK, Norway, and Denmark. Her publications address detention systems, migration routes from Iran, and legal frameworks shaping asylum eligibility.

Recent articles explore Afghan migration dynamics, Canada's detention risk assessments, and Turkey's barriers to abolishing immigration detention. Her research contributes to UN SDGs related to human rights and equitable migration governance.