Much debated in the press, taking central stage in many EU countries’ political arenas, dividing people within countries, and countries within the EU, the refugee crisis has far reaching consequences in both practical and theoretical terms. From a theoretical point of view, it has called into question already established paradigms within social sciences, such as those on multiculturalism or on democratic transition and consolidation. From a practical point of view, handling the situation raises many challenges in the EU from the circumstances of asylum seekers and refugees, the necessity of border checks and upholding regulations, to the identification of effective integration mechanisms. To address the challenges, the European Union and its member states need to pay increasing attention to and cooperate closely with countries in the neighborhood, especially with those on the refugees’ trajectory. Hosting over 3 million refugees by now, Turkey without doubt is a crucial actor at the EU’s borders strongly affected by and engaged in the issue. This conference brings together scholars and analysts conducting research on the refugee crisis and the situation of asylum seekers and refugees within the EU and Turkey to shed light on some of the above challenges.