Page 113 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

to exploitation. If the necessary social and economic environment is not provided for
school-aged children who live in urban areas, it is probable that they will grow up as a
problematic generation and lead to problem of public order in the future. Yet already, it
is uncomfortable to see that children have to try to maintain their lives by begging.” 66

Social Economical Support (SED) is provided by the Directorate General of Child
Services in cases where children are at risk of being taken into institutional care if not
supported. With the help of SED services, the Directorate aims to prevent children
from being in need of protection due to economic deprivation and to be supported
with their families without being taken under institutional care. The SED services for
the protection and support of these children with their families is carried out under
the “Regulation on Social and Economic Support Services.” The United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Children, within the framework of the support and
prevention of all kinds of negligence and abuse of children, provides for support of
children of foreign nationality. In the “Regulation on Social and Economic Support
Services,” there is no requirement to be a Turkish citizen. This service is provided to
support unaccompanied children and women who are left alone with their children.

The regulation states that services are provided “if it is determined that children who
live with their relatives outside of the camps and do not have any opportunity to go back
to camps, the ones who are unaccompanied foreigners or the children of women who
have lost their spouses and live alone in our country without any regular income that
are not taken under protection due to economic reasons or if it is determined that these
children are not supported by other institutions, SYDV (Foundation of Social Help), or
NGOs, the assessment of their situation in the context of economic support and other
preventive, supportive, and development services of the MFSP and the support of these
children in the context of budget possibilities pursuant to Article 25 of the Regulation
and the plans of the Directorate General of Child Services.” These guidelines were sent
to the Provincial Directorates in written form. As of July 2017, 3,799 children had been
supported. In addition, the project “No Lost Generation” under the European Union
Trust Fund (EU-MADAD Fund)’s “Social İntegration Program” in cooperation with
UNICEF Türkiye and the Directorate General of Child Services has been implemented
to support the integration of Syrian children living in TACs into society through the
children’s rights provincial children’s committees and to establish a platform that will
allow mutual dialogue and exchange of information between Turkish children and
Syrian children.

The program aims to decrease Syrian children’s social integration problems, to increase
their awareness about existing risks and resources in the society, and at the same time

66 TESEV. “The Effects of Syrian Asylum Seekers on Türkiye” (accessed January 26, 2017); available from
http://tesev.org.tr/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Suriyeli_Siginmacilarin_Turkiyeye_Etkileri.pdf.

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