Elephants fight, refugees suffer
by
RECEP KORKUT*

 In the thumbprint of imaginary differences and national obsessions, there is a dirty war where one group of people tries to kill another or constantly prepares for this. This war, which takes place outside the borders of the wealthy and peaceful world, displaces millions of people and causes millions of refugees to flood the borders. Refugees comprise one of the largest groups of people in the world. In Turkey, which is at the center of human migration fuelled by hope and the need to escape and seek refuge, the status of refugees and asylum seekers is becoming increasingly problematic.

Society’s approach is positive, but laws are insufficient

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data pertaining to January, there are 16,300 refugees in Turkey, where the refugee population is continuously increasing. As with the case of the Silk Road, this area has been at the center of human activity since ancient times. Of all of the countries that peoples in the area had religious and cultural ties with, Turkey was the first country that groups such as the Palestinians, Uighurs and Meshkets turned to when they were forced to flee their homelands. This resulted in a tremendous number of refugees coming to Turkey.

In terms of asylum and immigration, Turkey is both a target and transit country. One of the main reasons for this is that aside from its location on a major migration route, asylum seekers who are resettled in a third country because of the problematic structures in neighboring countries (such as in Iraq) prefer to resettle in Turkey. The increase in the number of registered/unregistered refugees in Turkey is closely related to the increase of problems in these countries. Contrary to previous periods, there has been a rapid growth in the number of unaccompanied female, child and unaccompanied child asylum seekers in the recent past. While the mountainous parts of Turkey’s border regions have turned into refugee cemeteries, the Aegean Sea continues to swallow dozens more every year.

As a result of Turkey’s location on an important migration route, its hosting of major human migrations and its position as a transit and target country, the society is aware of migration, immigrants and refugees and share a general desire to protect them. However, the situation is not at all optimistic or humanitarian when it comes to laws and procedures. It is for this reason that changes are being made to Turkey’s complex immigration legislation, which comprises a compendium of rules that include old and provisional measures.

The Ministry of Interior, which appointed two inspectors who are experts on the subject to prepare new immigration and asylum legislation some time ago, is in the final stage of completing work on the subject. While one of the main points is to have a more humanitarian legislation that applies to refugees as well as illegal immigrants and those who will be repatriated, it is also necessary to deal with legal complexities and ambiguities that create difficult situations for refugees and immigrants.

Turkey has also sought to include some European Union criteria in its immigration legislation. But as a product of its policy of blaming problems on poor regions with its “out of area” mentality instead of helping to solve the problems in these areas, the EU is making demands that would demote Turkey to the position of a border guard. This, in return, has turned the process into a boxing match where the strongest punches come down on refugees. In other words, as the elephants fight, the refugees get trampled. The main problem for refugees in Turkey is the residence permit fee (TL 285 for six months). While students and people who are able to convince officials that they are poor are exempt from paying the fee, refugees, who don’t even have a place to stay, are subject to the same requirements as a German tourist who is enjoying his retirement in Alanya or a soccer player transferred to a Turkish team for a million dollars.

If a refugee cannot get any assistance and cannot save up this amount by working or borrowing it from someone, and if resettlement takes many years, then, with interest added, the fee reaches a very high amount, which the refugee is unable to pay. There are many refugees in Turkey who cannot obtain permission to leave the country even though it has been decided that they will resettle in a third country due to their failure to pay the residence fee.

Education and health also concerns

Refugees are, in the strictest sense of the term, “the other” in the education system. Even though the Constitution states that “no one shall be deprived of the right to education” there are many obstacles that prevent refugees from entering the education system. Refugees are asked to provide a temporary national ID number, which means they have to first get the costly residence permit and then wait for the Ministry of Interior to give them a temporary ID number. This process can take several months. The refugee is also asked to provide proof of their education from the country from which they came. It is almost impossible for those who came from African countries, fled their country at the last moment, or left before finishing school to provide such proof. For refugees to enter the education system, they have to meet very difficult criteria. “Hamid,” for example, has managed to register his son at a school on condition that his son will not receive a diploma. “Hamid” says the acceptance of only those who live within the borders of the country as citizens when designing laws inevitably leads to the alienation of refugees.

The situation with health is even worse. As with education, a temporary ID number is required to receive medical treatment. Even if refugees obtain an ID number, many hospitals and medical faculties refuse to treat refugees, even if they have serious problems. They refuse treatment because of fears that the refugees will be a burden on them. Last year, a Somali lady who went into labor in Niğde when she was five months pregnant was transferred to Adana, where no state hospital or medical faculty would accept her. For several hours the ambulance drove around looking for a hospital that would admit her. Likewise, a 12-year-old Afghan boy who had a hole in his heart was unable to get surgery at the Kayseri’s Erciyes University medical faculty because his family was asked to pay the fee in advance. There are still many refugees with health problems who are waiting outside hospitals for temporary solutions.

The power of informal economy

In Turkey, refugees must obtain permission to work in any field that is not “restricted to Turkish citizens by law” or in any professions that foreigners are prohibited from working in. They must first apply to the Social Security Institution (SGK), upon which their application is subject to the approval of various officials, which can be a lengthy process. Moreover, in order for an employer to legally hire a refugee, or any foreigner, he must provide proof that a Turkish citizen cannot do the job. In other words, the employer must have a legitimate reason for employing a foreigner instead of a Turkish citizen. As a result of this harsh procedure, no refugee has ever been granted permission to work. Most refugees who need to work in order to survive turn to the informal economy, where exploitation is at an all time high. For example, many working refugees who don’t get paid are reluctant to complain for fear of being punished for working illegally. For employers, refugees are the cheapest form of labor. Furthermore, some people perceive refugees as foreigners who “stole their jobs” and unfairly treat them as if they are criminals.

Refugees have no hope for the future

After the UNHCR registers refugees, it leaves them to their own fate. Refugees in Turkey, where the process of resettlement to a third country is extremely slow, are being forced to “wait for a future in an uncertain process.” This is the case for many unaccompanied Afghan children who came to Turkey after Iran increased its practice of deporting Afghans from the country. Ferhad, a 15-year-old boy who came to Turkey as a refugee, said he has not had contact with the UNHCR in two years, except for when he got his registration certificate. Noting that he cannot forget what he has gone through, Ferhad said his past experiences prevent him from thinking about the future. 

As with Ferhad, the futures of many refugees are sacrificed for the interests of international institutions and states. In brief, the tragedy of refugees in Turkey does not end when legal procedures are put into practice. In fact, many refugees regret ever seeking asylum. That said, Turkey’s immigration policy should stop refugees from being a group of people that can be used to bring benefits to Turkey; their living conditions should be improved to a level that shows them respect; and the necessary protections should be guaranteed. The impediments to being granted asylum should also be removed. This responsibility should be shared by everyone, not just official institutions. Civil society organizations have a major role to play in this. In this respect, a project devised by the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (SGDD) that was approved by the European Commission is the first example of the cooperation needed in this area. These types of developments are of paramount value, not only in terms of sharing responsibility but also in meeting international humanitarian standards.

Immigration is the worst type of homelessness

For refugees who are forced to face inhumane conditions, the issue is not about finding “a place to live” or a “place that is open to human settlement”; it is about finding a “refuge” between life and death and it is the worst kind of homelessness. Nowadays, however, being granted refugee status is being seen as a privilege for most refugees. They are referred to by different titles so as to keep the procedures going. Meaningless classifications are being made such as “asylum seeker,” “temporary asylum seeker,” “foreigners whose asylum request has been considered” and “asylum seekers who are under extended protection.”

These people who don’t have anywhere to go or find that anywhere they do go is just a transit location are refugees who weren’t willing to give up their freedom; they felt compelled to take a stand against injustice and deserve to be rewarded for their courage. Moreover, history owes much to these people who left their homelands for good reason. For example, if Einstein and Freud hadn’t escaped Nazi torture, then they would not have been able to create their master works nor would we have been able to enjoy them.