Page 139 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

Besides DGMM and AFAD, which have a very successful record of process management,
many public institutions and organizations are intensively involved in this process and
carry out efforts in different areas. This is the reason why the need for more explicit
identification of authorities and coordination in process management has arisen.

AFAD became involved in the first place to manage the Syrian crisis as an emergency,
but it has increased its capacity and carried out many effective activities in the field,
especially managing temporary accommodation centers. However, as likelihood of
permanence comes to the forefront, that is to say, now that comprehensive integration
policies are needed, inevitable legal and capacity constraints given the current structure,
mission, and legal standing of AFAD, require the implementation of comprehensive
coordination and integration policies and the need to redefine the role of process
management.

There is no doubt that the main institution responsible for this is the Directorate
General of Migration Management within the Ministry of Interior, as the 103th article
of the law regarding these matters expresses clearly in the first paragraph:

The Institution

Article 103 – (1) The Directorate General of Migration Management within
the Ministry of Interior has been established to apply the policies and strategies
related to the area of migration, to provide coordination between related
institutions and organizations, to manage the entry, residence, departure, and
deportation of foreigners in Türkiye, to carry out tasks and operations related
to international protection, temporary protection, and protection of human
trafficking victims.

Even though DGMM has been assigned by law on this issue, the magnitude of the
crisis has caused a very serious burden. When considering the 3.5 million refugees
in the country and the centralized administrative structure of Türkiye, it seems more
appropriate that an effective organization might be established as a separate ministry.70

Taking into account the risk of encumbering the structure in the short-term, a strong
coordinator undersecretary or department reporting directly to the president may also
be created. If a reorganization is done as explained, this new institution will have to

70 A report prepared by the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TISK) suggested dividing the
MFSP into two units, such as the Ministry of Family and Women and the Ministry of Integration, and to
assign migration, refugee and integration duties to the Ministry of Social Policies and Integration. M. M.
Erdoğan and Can Unver. “The Opinions, Expectations, and Recommendations of the Turkish Business World
on the Syrians in Türkiye.’ (Ankara: TISK, 2015).

SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT 139