Page 145 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

needs; these people living in TACs are allowed to leave the center and work. In other
words, the opportunities provided to the Syrians in these centers are much broader than
the opportunities provided for the Syrians located in the cities, who have meet their
own needs.

During the field visits made within the framework of the report, we saw that the
services provided and the activities carried out at these centers have high standards
that are exemplary for other countries; moreover, Syrians were found to be generally
satisfied with the physical conditions of the TACs and the services provided. On the
other hand, it was observed that especially those who stayed in tent cities did not have
full possession of privacy; this situation becomes more difficult as a result of marriages.
In addition, Syrians who live in the tent cities are not able to meet their bathing and
toilet needs, because these structures are far away from some tent residents, and they
sometimes experience difficulties accessing the facilities. However, it was observed that
the camp administrators showed a special sensitivity to this issue, especially in terms of
the elderly and the disabled, and carefully evaluated the requests made in these matters.

In addition to this, we learned that the tents used in the tent cities must be replaced
periodically with new ones due to wear.

Although TAC residents are pleased in the short run, in the mid- and long-term, the
camps are naturally isolating, which is considered to be a problem for future integration
efforts. There is also the possibility of complacency and laziness caused by the fulfillment
of all needs in TACs. There is a significant number of people who have been residing in
TACs for more than 3-4 years but have almost no contact with the outside world. In this
context, the communication of people living outside the centers with the outside world
is naturally higher and more valuable. In addition to these issues, when the number of
Syrians living in TACs and the number of Syrians living in city centers are taken into
consideration, the question of which Syrians can stay for how long in these centers is
again an important point.

The first paragraph of Article 23 of the Regulation on Temporary Protection, entitled
“Procedures for Referral to Temporary Accommodation Centers” states that foreigners
will be placed directly or from the referral center in TACs based on the capacity as
reported by AFAD; DGMM determines the location in coordination with the
governorships. The second paragraph states that during transportation to the TAC
determined by DGMM, conservation will be given to the foreigner’s requests, family
situation, and special needs; however, there is no detailed explanation of this issue, and
the duration of stay is undefined. Thus, some families with young children who do

SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT 145