These refugees have been financially supported by Afyonkarahisar Governor’s Office while they wait for a response from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).TL 9,540 in cash has been given to refugees in Afyonkarahisar in 2009 in addition to TL 4,850 for the purchase of necessary medicines. Furthermore, 1,980 bags of coal were distributed to 92 refugee families. The Afyonkarahisar Social Security Institute paid for bus tickets for 138 refugees to travel to Ankara to meet with UN officials.
Officials from the Afyonkarahisar Social Security Institute stated that refugees who have financial problems applied to the institute for help. Meanwhile, 95 percent of the 935 refugees from Iraq are awaiting responses for their applications to settle in the US.
“Leaving my family in Iran, I applied to the UNHCR. They sent me to Afyonkarahisar. I can watch the developments in Iran on TV and on the Internet. We miss our country very much. There are not many living opportunities there; however, Iran is our homeland,” said Hamid, speaking to the Anatolia news agency and underlining the difficulties of living in Iran.
Noting that he survives on the money sent by his mother who lives in Canada, another Iranian asylum seeker in Afyonkarahisar stated that when he runs out of money, he takes money from the Afyonkarahisar Social Security Institute, adding, “I thank the Afyonkarahisar Governor’s Office for looking after us.”
