SUPPORT FOR MIGRANTS
Migration phenomenon is one of the important outcomes of political and ethnic conflicts, environmental catastrophes and income inequality in the Third World. After the 1980s, Turkey has become a destination country for migratory movements. Among the new migrants are those who approach Turkey as a transit country to reach Western countries; asylum seekers; those who come to settle; those who come to work and lastly victims of trafficking.
HRDF is the first NGO that started providing legal counseling (since 2001) and psychological counseling (since 2002) to asylum seekers and refugees in Turkey. Psychological counseling services have been expanded to Istanbul and Ankara in 2003 and social counseling services have been added to the current program in 2007. Social workers, psychologists and translators at HRDF Istanbul and Ankara Refugee Offices are providing services to asylum seekers/refugees. The program is being implemented in collaboration with UNHCR.
Refugees in Turkey reside in pre-determined satellite cities during their waiting period until a durable solution is found. Most of them are deprived of any social support in these cities. Local administrations and institutions lack necessary knowledge about refugees; they are unaware of the needs of refugees in their cities. Following a needs-assessment survey, HRDF’s social workers started to provide social support to asylum seekers and refugees who reside in 3 satellite cities, Eskişehir, Bilecik and Kütahya in 2007 along with initial provinces. This program has been expanded to two new cities, Van and Ağrı in 2010.
The objective of this program is to mitigate the vulnerability of this group and strengthen social support. Social workers inform and refer members of the target group to access health, education and other services; they also work to raise the awareness of local administrators and institutions about refugee rights and provide advocacy activities.
HRDF refugee offices have established regular contacts with local authorities and local NGOs in order to find other resources to meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees in 7 cities. Through these relations, social solidarity foundations, state hospitals, municipalities, governorships, NGOs and philanthropists have started to be aware of the needs and started to provide assistance to cover financial needs, health related expenses as well as accommodation, clothing, nutrition and hygienic material needs.
HRDF also implements capacity building activities for human rights and advocacy NGOs to enhance their refugee protection. HRDF acts as a key actor to provide both protection and support to the target group. Increasing knowledge of NGOs, social and health service providers and the public in general has strengthened protection for refugees. After HRDF’s efforts, appropriate support has started to be provided to refugees by the authorities in those satellite cities. An increased awareness of international standards and human rights of the general public has improved social inclusion of refugees in the society.
Within the framework of this Program, refugees have found a trustworthy and secure atmosphere to talk and share their problems, feelings and concerns. They now have reliable, realistic and responsible source of information about asylum procedure in Turkey. Through positive feedback and advocacy activities, HRDF staff also support them in coping with problems they face in this transition process.
Our foundation's support efforts for asylum seekers and refugees, which started in 2002, gained new momentum due to the civil war that started in Syria in 2011. People who took refuge in our country due to the civil war were first settled in border cities, and then they were allowed to go to other provinces. Among these provinces, Istanbul hosts the highest number of refugees under temporary protection status. Due to the increase in the number of Syrian refugees in Istanbul, it was deemed necessary to open a second support office in 2014, and our Esenler Multi-Purpose Support Center, which provides services only to Syrians with temporary refugee status, was opened in Esenler.
Esenler Multi-Purpose Support Center
İKGV Esenler Multi-Purpose Support Center was established with the aim to provide services to Syrians under temporary protection in different areas such as psycho-social, legal consultancy and support, advocacy and community center work, and service delivery continues since 2014.
During the establishment of the Syrian support unit, a five-storey building was first found in Esenler. The migration story of the district was decisive in choosing this region. The main factor was that Esenler is one of the central regions of Istanbul that receives the most internal and external migration and transportation, such as the bus terminal. After the necessary preparations were completed in the unit, it was opened on 24 December 2014 and applications started to be received in mid-January 2015. Things started with a small team focusing on refugee protection. Refugee counselors, translators who support them, three psychologists, receptionist, security guard and project managers. Over time, the team expanded to thirty-five people. We also worked with fewer team members, depending on the funds, budget and work done. During this service provision and case management, we work in accordance with the legal regulations and in cooperation with the relevant official institutions and organizations. While its name was initially İKGV Esenler Syrian Refugees Support Unit, today it is called İKGV Esenler Multi-Purpose Support Center due to the change it has undergone.
As the Esenler Center opened and applications increased, applications from single women and single mothers to the center also increased as of March 2015. With the application of more than ten single women every month, the need for different levels of social support for these women began to be discussed within the team. The first steps of the community center work were taken by establishing a "women's solidarity group" for women to get to know and support each other.
In the establishment phase there was no special budget allocated for them. However, the fact that "refugee protection" activities alone were insufficient to support refugees made it necessary to plan community center activities and create and develop various workshop activities.
In addition, in-service training programs were held in cooperation with various universities and non-governmental organizations in order for Esenler Center employees to use a common language and have similar approaches and understanding. Information and discussion sessions were held on topics such as trauma and working with refugees, refugees and the healthcare system in Turkey, Syrian LGBTI individuals, problems and solutions.
Various meetings were attended and some were hosted with government organizations, local government officials, UNHCR, universities and non-governmental organizations to discuss problems and raise awareness. During this process, national and international guests also visited Esenler Center and received information about the services.
Moreover, the years 2016-2017 were years of intense interest in Syrians. In these years, studies focused on gender and discrimination received great support from various groups of society. Joint programs ranging from concerts to health seminars began to be carried out with various institutions.
Working with refugees is one of the areas that requires advocacy. Advocating by providing services is one of the roles defined within advocacy activities. Esenler Center is one of the non-governmental organizations that undertake this role.
Any integrative, awareness-raising and solution-oriented initiatives are part of refugee protection advocacy. For advocacy, it is necessary to use every opportunity such as attending various meetings, promoting the activities carried out in these meetings, organizing concerts, shows, festivals, conferences, and providing various trainings. Observing and understanding the problems that refugees face in the field, bringing them to the authorities and mediating in finding solutions, and maintaining strong communication with public institutions and local governments are a huge area of activity for both refugee protection and advocacy.
Syrian and Turkish children laughing, screaming and merging together, surrounded by limitless clowns with their colorful dresses, red noses, funny big shoes and long wooden legs... One of the moments in the 20 June World Refugee Day children's festival organized together with Esenler Municipality. This example constitutes one of the most striking examples of advocacy. Another example is that Syrian young people from Sirkhane Social Circus and Art School operating in Mardin are guests of this festival. At the age of 15-16, Syrian circus trainers learned many entertaining tasks such as juggling, acrobatics, and walking with wooden legs. Children who are refugees themselves help refugee children from Syria and other countries overcome the negativities of war and develop their imagination. They not only entertain, they also teach. These are activities that allow refugees to express their problems and develop solution suggestions.
Refugees have many rights on paper, but there may be situations where reality does not match the paper. The refugee protection system is a huge mechanism - some of the gears may be broken. For example, a refugee has the right to receive health care, but he may not be able to find someone who speaks his language at the health institution, and if he does not speak the language himself, there is a basic communication problem and not being able to receive health care. A non-governmental organization that provides interpreter services can ensure that the refugee has access to health support. This example may seem outside the advocacy we are accustomed to. However, even small initiatives to overcome various barriers to access are an important support.
It would not be wrong to define non-governmental organizations that provide protection services to refugees as units that make breathing easier for the broken gears of this mechanism. In addition to the refugee protection services it offers, İKGV Esenler Multi-Purpose Support Center provides an environment for Syrian refugees to survive with social events and community center activities.
Equal treatment and effective communication in this center give refugees the opportunity to exist in a safe space where they feel welcome. Syrian refugees also express this at every opportunity. The creation of this positive environment is definitely not a coincidence. HRDF's approach of being egalitarian, open to innovation and development, which positively affects its employees at all levels, has an important role behind the supportive environment. The foundations of this approach are based on understanding, dialogue and finding solutions.