Page 60 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

Among the most serious problems encountered in terms of process control is high
mobility, which means that refugees are constantly relocating, not staying in the
provinces they are registered in. According to Law No. 6458 and the Temporary
Protection Regulation, DGMM can place administrative obligations on foreigners.
In this framework, refugees who leave the province where they are registered have to
obtain permission. Depending on the evaluation made by the governors, Syrians who
have a temporary protection identity card can be obligated to notify the places deemed
suitable (neighborhood headmen, police stations, gendarmerie headquarters, other
public institutions and organizations, etc.) by signature or fingerprint during certain
periods. It is sufficient for the heads of household to fulfill the notification obligation.
Requests of foreigners under temporary protection for changes in residence status for
reasons such as family reunification, kinship, health, education, work, etc. are considered
a priority. The provincial governor assesses the residence change application where the
foreigner resides. For approved applications, a travel permit is provided to go to the
desired province.

We have observed that some of the Syrians who are living in our country outside of
the TACs are using their kinship relations to obtain more comfortable accommodation
opportunities in the border provinces, and that those who have limited economic means
concentrate in the neighborhoods where they can find cheaper rental housing. Syrians
living in our country outside of TACs create a huge housing demand, especially in
the border provinces, which has notably increased rental prices; for economic reasons,
Syrians are forced to live in houses with inadequate physical conditions.

According to Article 39 of the Directive on the Establishment, Management and
Operation of Temporary Accommodation Centers, which was jointly prepared by
AFAD and the Ministry of Interior (DGMM) and entered into force on November 9,
2015, entitled “Transfer to Temporary Accommodation Centers,” transfer of foreigners
under temporary protection is carried out with the approval of both DGMM and
AFAD. As of August 1, 2017, under the coordination of AFAD, the relevant public
institutions and organizations jointly provide for all the needs of a total of 235,365
Syrians in TACs.

In the TACs that we visited, we observed a high level of understanding and order
for meeting human needs. This situation is often emphasized and appreciated by
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international institutions. The services provided to thousands of people in temporary
accommodation centers are coordinated using the Disaster Temporary Urban

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Holly Benner, Arzu Uraz, Joanna de Berry and William Wiseman, Türkiye’s Response to the Syrian Refugee
Crisis and the Road Ahead (World Bank: 2015).

60 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT