10/07/2024 | Writer: Suay Yüksel
Refugee Rights Capacity Development Workshop organized by Kaos GL Refugee Rights Program was held in Ankara, on June 6-7.
Kaos GL Association Refugee Rights Program organized a workshop in Ankara on June 6-7. The event titled “Refugee Rights Capacity Development Workshop” was conducted with the aim of providing an opportunity to better understand the situations of refugee LGBTI+s and to discuss refugee rights with local LGBTI+ organizations and activists, thereby increasing solidarity in solving the problems faced by refugee LGBTI+s.
The first day of the workshop focused on how the asylum system in Türkiye is regulated in legislation and how it works in practice. The impact on vulnerable groups within the current system was also discussed, and the access of refugee LGBTI+s to fundamental rights was debated in terms of housing/health rights and work/education/freedom of expression and organization.
Feminist researcher Cemile Gizem Dinçer, lawyer Elifcan Demirtaş, Emir Monajed, Sengül Kılınç and Hayriye Kara from Kaos GL Association were among the speakers on the first day of the workshop.
Hayriye Kara made the opening speech and highlighted the attacks, which started in Kayseri and spread all over Turkey, against refugees and said: “Therefore first of all we need to discuss the question ‘Why refugee rights are human rights?’”
“Many line of work in Turkey rely on the labor of refugees working in unregistered conditions”
Following Kara feminist researcher Cemile Gizem took the floor. Dinçer stated that refugees entered Turkey's agenda after the mass refugee movement that started in Syria and said the following:
“The transformation of the refugee figure into an image, how we imagine the refugee, policy makers, and the services developed by them cause gender blindness. When we look at the reflection of this on politics and civil society, we see that the refugee issue is not put on the agenda from a rights-based perspective. We cannot include the rights violations experienced by refugees in our political imaginations. The labor movement is the same. Many line of work in Turkey rely on the labor of refugees working in unregistered conditions. Refugees work in conditions where Turkish people do not want to work. At this point, we expect the labor movement to include refugees, but this is not the case. We see that refugees and the issue of migration are not fully integrated into our movement, and racism is not fully on our main agenda.”
Stating that racism has not always been so visible, Dinçer noted that satellite cities, which serve as a control mechanism, have been established in conservative cities. Emphasizing that refugees choose invisibility to avoid attacks, Dinçer highlighted the need to constantly remind ourselves that refugees are equal subjects:
“Keeping in mind that refugees are equal subjects and remembering that our struggle is common is essential. Heteropatriarchy and capitalism are narrowing the living spaces of all of us, affecting us all in different ways, and we are fighting the same enemy.”
“Refugee LGBTI+ persons are subjected to various harassments in removal centers”
The workshop continued with a presentation by lawyer Elifcan Demirtaş. Demirtaş spoke about conditional refugee status, which often leads to human rights violations:
“After making an application and receiving an identity card, the person is made to sign a document regarding their obligations. Especially when it comes to LGBTI+ migrants, when they encounter security, they are looked at as if to say, ‘Why did you come here?’”
Speaking about the removal centres, Demirtaş also addressed the rights violations suffered by LGBTI+ persons. She stated that LGBTI+ refugees are subjected to various forms of harassment, mentioning that LGBTI+ refugees were kept together in an empty ward in Ankara. Demirtaş highlighted that the administrations have not found a solution to the hygiene problem in the removal centers.
Refugees’ rights to health and shelter
Within the scope of the following sesseion Hayriye Kara, Sengül Kılınç, and Emir Monajed from Kaos GL Association highlighted significant challenges faced by refugees in Turkey regarding their rights to health and housing. The session brought to light the bureaucratic and practical obstacles that exacerbate the plight of refugees, particularly those identifying as LGBTI+.
Hayriye Kara shed light on the legal hurdles refugees face in securing shelter:
“In some provinces, lease contracts need to be notarized, a demand not present in the legislation but imposed on refugees through unofficial regulations. This extra step complicates the already challenging process of finding a safe place to live.”
Kara also addressed the difficulties refugees encounter in accessing healthcare:
“Refugees should be able to access basic health services regardless of their entry status or application acceptance. However, in practice, they face numerous obstacles. For instance, those diagnosed with HIV in their country of origin often find their treatment is not covered here, as it’s deemed a pre-existing condition. The transition process is also problematic, with current legislation contradicting international conventions to which Turkey is a party. Although the law theoretically supports trans refugees’ access to surgery, practical barriers remain.”
Sengül Kılınç discussed the violations refugees face in practice:
“To stay safely in Turkey, refugees need to register their address, which activates their identity card. However, finding housing is particularly difficult for LGBTI+ refugees, as landlords in many neighborhoods are not open to renting to them. This double discrimination based on refugee and LGBTI+ status leads to widespread housing rejections.”
“Seeking legal recourse often leads to further harassment from landlords”
Kılınç highlighted the additional challenges posed by legal remedies:
“Seeking legal recourse often leads to further harassment from landlords. Refugees, especially when dealing with Turkish landlords, do not feel safe calling the police, leaving them vulnerable and at the landlord’s mercy. The legal process itself is exhausting and corrosive for refugees.”
Emir Monajed elaborated on the practical barriers in accessing health services:
“Trans refugees using hormones face harassment when their assigned gender appears in hospital records, leading to cancelled examinations. Language barriers further complicate matters, refugees are expected to speak in Turkish, deterring many from seeking medical help. Insurance issues are also prevalent, with refugees sometimes finding their insurance deactivated without prior notice. There is widespread panic when the HIV status of refugees is discovered. While associations can refer refugees for psychologist and psychiatrist support, those in removal centres face inhumane conditions. They cannot see doctors or access their medication, crucial for HIV treatment.”
Within the scope of the session, the speakers underscored the urgent need for policy changes and practical interventions to protect refugees' rights to health and housing. The speakers emphasized the detrimental effects of current practices and the importance of addressing these violations to ensure humane treatment and equal rights for all refugees.
The final session of the day at the recent workshop addressed the critical issues refugees face in accessing their rights to work, education, and freedom of association and expression. The session, led by experts Hayriye Kara, Sengül Kılınç, and Emir Monajed, highlighted the bureaucratic and practical barriers that exacerbate the plight of refugees in Turkey.
Hayriye Kara began the session by outlining the legislative framework governing refugees’ rights:
“The right to work is dependent on employer applications rather than individual applications. Refugees can only obtain work permits through specific jobs, and each new job requires a fresh application from the new employer, meaning there is no general work permit for refugees. Regarding education, while everyone in Turkey has access to free and compulsory education, registration and identification are still required. University education poses additional hurdles, such as the need for equivalence certificates and attendance at open high school, or documentation of equivalent education levels. Refugees can apply to universities through foreign student exams, but they face high tuition fees for some departments.
Freedom of expression and association is also restricted for foreigners. Organizing a march requires permission from the Ministry of Interior, and even carrying banners is subject to the same permission. In practice, these restrictions create insecurity and threaten the legal status of refugees."
“Social assistance and aid from UNHCR are their only sources of income for most of refugees”
Sengül Kılınç discussed the practical violations refugees face in accessing work:
“Many refugees report preferring to go hungry rather than risk being sent back to Iran or Syria. A significant number of LGBTI+ refugees face job rejections due to their identity, and many give up job searches altogether due to harassment, leading to severe impoverishment. For many, social assistance and aid from UNHCR are their only sources of income. Before the pandemic, this support was sufficient to sustain their lives, but its value has decreased against the rising cost of living.”
Emir Monajed concluded the session by addressing the dangers refugees face if they attempt to organize and the lack of protection they experience despite having temporary protection status:
“There have been attacks against Syrians in cities like Kayseri, Hatay, Gaziantep, and Urfa. What is alarming is the legitimization of these attacks. Despite their temporary protection status, refugees are not genuinely protected. There is a noticeable silence regarding their plight. As a refugee, the risk of deportation is ever-present if I try to organize, which is a significant deterrent.”
The session underscored the urgent need for policy changes and practical interventions to protect refugees' rights to work, education, and freedom of expression. The speakers emphasized the detrimental effects of current practices and the importance of addressing these violations to ensure humane treatment and equal rights for all refugees.
“By the end of 2023, there are 117.3 million displaced persons worldwide”
On the second day of the workshop, after a session explaining the role and mission of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the principles of protection, the
needs for working and organizing together in the field of refugee rights were discussed with the participants.
The second day commenced with a session on Basic Protection Principles and the mission of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), moderated by Ezgi Acar from UNHCR Turkey Operation. The session provided crucial insights into the scope and challenges of forced displacement both globally and in Turkey.
Ezgi Acar began by outlining the establishment process of UNHCR, highlighting its mandate and key roles: “UNHCR Turkey runs one of the largest resettlement programmes in the world. Additionally, it provides operational and technical capacity-building support to civil society organisations and national institutions to meet specific needs and ensure social cohesion.”
Acar emphasized the critical role of UNHCR in supporting refugees and displaced persons, particularly in Turkey, which hosts one of the most extensive resettlement operations globally.
Acar shared alarming statistics on forced displacement, revealing that by the end of 2023, there were 117.3 million displaced persons worldwide, including 43.4 million refugees. These figures underscore the increasing global challenges in managing forced displacement and providing adequate support to those affected.
The workshop concluded with an evaluation session and a closing speech, summarizing the key discussions and highlighting the importance of continued efforts to protect and support refugees and displaced persons.
The workshop sessions over the two days underscored the urgent need for comprehensive policies and collaborative efforts to address the complex issues surrounding forced displacement. The information shared by UNHCR and other experts provided valuable insights into the ongoing challenges and the critical need for sustained support and advocacy for refugees and displaced persons globally.
Translation: Selma Koçak
Tags: human rights
