Page 126 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

As announced by UNHCR, Türkiye has been the country that hosts the highest number
of refugees in the world since 2015. Although the Anatolian territories are used to
voluntary or forced mass migration, this is the first time that we have experienced such
an intense humanitarian crisis as the one that began in 2011. After the anti-regime
demonstrations in Syria spread throughout the country and caused a massive refugee
crisis as a result of increasing violence, Türkiye opened its borders to people escaping
from persecution and war with an open-door policy in a manner consistent with human
rights. The crisis has grown to the point where it exceeds all estimates, and the number
of refugees arriving, well into the millions, has made it difficult to manage the process.
The crisis, which has entered its seventh year, has been successfully managed by the
Turkish society embracing the refugees and by the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices
of all the institutions of the state.

The migration of Syrians, which started with a group of 252 people on April 29, 2011,
reached the number of 3,412,368 only including Syrians who were under temporary
protection as of December 2017. Because of the continuing registration process, this
number tends to increase based on updated weekly numbers. The number of non-
Syrian refugees has also increased rapidly since April 2011. Many foreigners have
come to Türkiye to seek international protection status between the years 2011-2016,
starting with Syrians, but also from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.
During this period, the number of international protection applicants who came to our
country is approximately 242,425. As of 2018, the total number of refugees in Türkiye
67
has exceeded 3.5 million. The registration process continues for refugees from both
Syria and other countries. Even though the entry of refugees to Türkiye has fallen to a
very low level compared to previous years, the size of the crisis that is faced can be better
understood when considering that refugee entry to Türkiye has never stopped. The
refuge population equals approximately 4.4% of Türkiye’s population of 80.8 million,
which has made Türkiye the country with the highest number of refugees in the
world since 2015. The crisis, which rapidly escalated and reached the point of being
a humanitarian disaster, has been managed as smoothly as possible to this day thanks
to the extraordinary efforts of public institutions, the Turkish society’s tolerance and
high social acceptance, even though almost all developed countries, especially those in
Europe, have taken “protectionist” measures until recently, and leaving international
legal principles and conscientious sensibilities aside. While there are many developed

67 Minister of Interior Affairs Suleyman Soylu gave the number of refugees in Türkiye as 3,551,078 at the
Migration Policy Board meeting held on February 15, 2017. Ministry of Interior. “Interior Minister Süleyman
Soylu: Türkiye has Turned no one Away from the Door” (accessed February 15, 2017); available from https://
www.icisleri.gov.tr/icisleri-bakani-suleyman-soylu-turkiye-hic-kimseyi-kapidan-cevirmemistir.

126 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT