"Local
governments should design cities with respect to migrants needs. Authorities
should cease seeing migrants as security threats and organize events which
promote intercultural dialogue and tolerance."
British
Council Turkey releases Migrant Cities Research Report: Istanbul. Prepared by
Koc University staff Kristen Sarah Biehl and Ahmet Icduygu, the report accounts
in-depth interviews with 10 migrants from different backgrounds living in
Istanbul.
Migration
to Turkey is categorized in four groups: People coming mainly from Russian states,
looking for work; Asians, Middle Easterns and Africans arriving in Turkey as a
transit country to Europe; legalized migrants from neighboring countries;
asylum seekers and refugees.
An
estimated 258 thousand migrants were in Turkey in 2001, while this number
decreased to a total of 178 thousand in 2005.
Recommendations
of the report are as follows:
-
Considering
the highly intertwined social, political and economic aspects of international
migration issues in Turkey, addressing the issue of migrants’ rights requires
the close co-operation of various actors, such as the centralised state, local
authorities and national and international NGOs in creating proactive policies.
-
Currently,
the Foreigners, Borders and Asylum Unit under the General Security Directorate
handles all issues related to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Turkey.
One may suggest the establishment of a separate Directorate within the Ministry
of Interior, which would deal specifically with migration to Turkey. Such a
move may allow for a more balanced view to the migration issue, where qualified
personnel will tackle both security-related matters and more humanitarian
concerns, such as social and economic rights and integration issues.
-
In order to
combat irregular immigration and employment, Turkey must co-ordinate with
origin and transit countries. In particular, all countries involved should
co-operate effectively towards controlling human trafficking and smuggling.
-
Local
municipalities where many migrants tend to reside should conduct information
campaigns about the risks involved in irregular migration and irregular
employment.
-
The Turkish
government should consider lifting the geographical limitation to the 1951
Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees and should be prepared to
regularise the position of irregular immigrants already living and working in
the country.
-
Specialised
monitoring bodies should be set up to ensure respect for migrant rights. The
work of such bodies should be independent but binding on the government in
respect of revising practices that adversely affect migrants’ rights, such as
foreigners’ detention issues, police treatment towards migrants and labour
exploitation of migrants.(BÇ/AGÜ)