Profile

Dr Derya Ozkul is an Assistant Professor in Sociology at the University of Warwick. Her work examines the politics of migration and displacement. Her current work focuses on the use of new technologies for managing, controlling, and processing mobility and asylum in Europe. Previously, she conducted research on migration policies in the Middle East, specifically in Turkey and Lebanon, as well as in Europe, primarily Germany, and Australia.

Before joining Warwick, Derya worked for over five years at the Refugee Studies Centre of the University of Oxford. Before that, she worked at the University of Sydney, where she completed her PhD in Sociology. Derya holds an MSc degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and a BA degree in Political Science and International Relations from Bogazici University in Turkey.

She is the author of various journal articles and book chapters related to the politics of migration and displacement. Her work has appeared in journals including Third World Quarterly, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Turkish Studies and British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. Currently, she serves as the Co-Investigator of the Algorithmic Fairness for Asylum Seekers and Refugees Project, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. Previously, she was the Principal Investigator of the Governance of AI-based Technologies in the Management of Migration Project, funded by the John Fell Fund at the University of Oxford.

Beyond her academic research, Derya contributes to #ProtectNotSurveil, a coalition of civil society organisations that developed amendment recommendations to the EU AI Act to enhance protection against potential harms arising from the use of artificial intelligence in the migration context. Additionally, she acts as an advisor to the Forced Migration Review, the most widely read publication on forced migration, for the issue of ‘Digital Disruption’. She occasionally provides expert opinions on asylum adjudication, particularly related to conditions for Alevis in Turkey. She occasionally shares insights on her work through tweets at @DeryaOzkul.

Derya is available to supervise PhD students, particularly on topics related to migration, displacement, and new technologies.

Algorithmic Fairness for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (AFAR)

The AFAR project is a collaborative research project led by Prof Cathryn Costello (University College Dublin and Hertie School) and co-led by Dr Derya Ozkul (University of Warwick, previously University of Oxford), Prof Martin Ruhs (European University Institute), Prof Iris Goldner Lang (University of Zagreb) and Prof Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen (University of Copenhagen).

The project is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation in the frame of its "Challenges for Europe" programme. It investigates the use of new technologies in migration and asylum governance, in particular the automation or part-automation of decisions normally taken by humans, as well as more complex machine learning and artificial intelligence systems, and related uses of digital identity mechanisms.

At its heart, AFAR is an exploration of the concept of ‘fairness’ as a legal, normative and political concept. The project explores fairness as a multidimensional concept and considers whether existing legal standards appropriately institutionalise fairness, in particular when decision-making in these fields is increasingly automated. The project includes work packages to map the use of new technologies in migration and asylum in Europe, explore the evolving overlapping legal standards in this domain, consider how fairness perceptions impact practices, and develop proposals to reform practices for fairness.

Selected publications

Books

· Ozkul, Derya and Markussen, Hege. 2022. The Alevis in Modern Turkey and the Diaspora: Recognition, Mobilisation and Transformation. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

· Castles, Stephen; Ozkul, Derya; Arias, Magdalena. 2015. Social Transformation and Migration. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Book Chapters

· Ozkul, Derya. 2022. ‘The Alevi Movement in Germany and Australia: Towards a Transnational Movement’ in Derya Ozkul and Hege Markussen (eds) The Alevis in Modern Turkey and the Diaspora. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press., pp. 147-165.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2019. ‘Transnationalism’ in Christine Inglis, et al. (eds) Sage Handbook of International Migration. New York: Sage.

· Castles, Stephen; Ozkul, Derya; Arias Cubas, Magdalena. 2015. ‘International migration in an era of neoliberal social transformation’ in Stephen Castles, Derya Ozkul and Magdalena Arias Cubas (eds) Social Transformation and Migration. Basingstoke: Palgrave., pp. 301-312.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2015. ‘Migration flows in Turkey’s neoliberal era: the case of Kumkapı, Istanbul’ in Stephen Castles, Derya Ozkul and Magdalena Arias Cubas (eds) Social Transformation and Migration. Basingstoke: Palgrave., pp. 151-166.

· Castles, Stephen and Ozkul, Derya. 2014. ‘Circular migration: triple win, or a new label for temporary migration?’ in Graziano Battistella (ed) Theoretical Perspectives on Asian Migration. New York: Springer Publishing., pp. 27-49.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2014. ‘Emotive connections: insider research with Turkish/Kurdish Alevi migrants in Germany’ in Lejla Voloder and Liudmila Kirpitchenko (eds) Insider Research on Migration and Mobility. London: Ashgate., pp. 117-132.

· Castles, Stephen; Vasta, Ellie and Ozkul, Derya. 2014. ‘Australia: a Classical Immigration Country in Transition’ in J. Hollifield, et al. (eds) Controlling Immigration: A Global Perspective. Stanford CA: Stanford University Press., pp. 128-150.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2012. ‘Ulus-ötesi göç: Uluslararası göç yazınında yeni bir paradigma’ in Suna Gülfer Ihlamur Öner and N. Aslı Şirin Öner (eds) Küreselleşme Çağında Göç: Kavramlar Tartışmalar. Istanbul: Iletisim., pp. 483-500.

· Castles, Stephen; Arias, Magdalena; Kim, Chulhyo and Ozkul, Derya. 2012. ‘Irregular migration: causes, patterns and strategies’ in Irena Omelaniuk (ed) Reflections on Migration and Development, New York: Springer Publishing., pp. 117-151.

Journal Articles

· Ozkul, Derya. 2022. Governing Migration and Asylum Amid Covid-19 and Legal Precarity in Turkey, Middle East Law and Governance, 14: 141-154.

· Ozkul, Derya and Jarrous, Rita Ozkul. 2021. How Do Refugees Navigate the Black Boxes of Bureaucracies? Interpretative Labour and Rumours, Third World Quarterly, 42 (10): 2247-2264.

· Williamson, Rebecca; Magdalena Arias Cubas, Derya Ozkul, Cailin Maas, Chulhyo Kim, Elsa Koleth & Stephen Castles. 2021. Migration and Social Transformation through the Lens of Locality, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48 (13): 3041-3059.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2020. Participatory Research: Still a One-Sided Research Agenda? Migration Letters 17 (2), 229-237.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2019. The Making of a Transnational Religion: Alevi Movement in Germany and the World Alevi Union. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 46 (2): 259-273.

· Eder, Mine; Ozkul, Derya. 2016. Precarious lives and Syrian refugees in Turkey, New Perspectives on Turkey 54, 1-8.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2015. Alevi “Openings” and Politicization of the “Alevi Issue” during the AKP rule, Turkish Studies, 16: 80-96.

Reports and Working Papers

· Ozkul, Derya. 2023. Automating Immigration and Asylum: The Uses of New Technologies in Migration and Asylum Governance in Europe. University of Oxford, Refugee Studies Centre.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2023. Refugee Recognition Regime Country Profile: Lebanon (RefMig Working Paper No. 3/2023), doi: 10.48462/opus4-5006

· Ozkul, Derya; Nalule, Caroline. 2023. Recognising Refugees: A Review of the Literature and Approaches (1990-2020) (RefMig Working Paper No. 1/2023), doi: 10.48462/opus4-4994

· Ozkul, Derya. 2020. Policy Recommendations towards Migrants for the COVID-19 Pandemic, Istanbul: Istanbul Political Research Institute.

· Collins, Jock; Reid, Carol; Groutsis, Dimitria; Ozkul, Derya; Watson, Katherine. 2018. Syrian and Iraqi Refugee Settlement in Australia, Sydney: University Technology of Sydney.

· Castles, Stephen; Vasta, Ellie and Ozkul, Derya. 2012. The internal dynamics of migration processes and their consequences for Australian government migration policies, Sydney: University of Sydney.

· Castles, Stephen; Ozkul, Derya; et al. 2011. Karl Polanyi and Understanding Social Transformation’, Social Transformation and International Migration in the 21st Century. Working Paper No 1, Sydney: University of Sydney.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2011. Circular Migration Schemes: Renewed Interests in Destination Countries, CARIM Best Participant Essays Series 2011/61, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, San Domenico di Fiesole (FI): European University Institute.

Book Reviews

· Ozkul, Derya. 2022. Asylum Matters: On the Front Line of Administrative Decision-Making, International Journal of Refugee Law, 34 (1): 159–162.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2012. The Politics of European Citizenship, Journal of European Social Policy, 22 (3): 332-333.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2011. Beyond a Border: The Causes and Consequences of Contemporary Immigration, Journal of Sociology, 47 (2): 222-223.

Opinion Pieces and Features

· Ozkul, Derya. 2023. New technologies in migration and asylum governance: who benefits?, Oxford Department of International Development Blog.

· Palmiotto, Francesca; Ozkul, Derya. 2023. “Like Handing My Whole Life Over”: The German Federal Administrative Court’s Landmark Ruling on Mobile Phone Data Extraction in Asylum Procedures, Verfassungsblog.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2023. In memory of Stephen Castles: Studying migration as part of social transformation, International Migration, 61 (1), 307-310.

· Ozkul, Derya. 2020. Refugee recognition: not always sought. Forced Migration Review, 65.

· Costello, Cathryn; Nalule, Caroline; Ozkul, Derya. 2020. Recognising refugees: understanding the real routes to recognition. Forced Migration Review, 65.

· Fakhoury, Tamirace; Ozkul, Derya. 2019. Syrian refugees’ return from Lebanon, Forced Migration Review, 62.

 

See ResearchGate for downloadable articles and Google Scholar for a full list of publications.