Lawyers sey they can't reach refugees in İstanbul

A group of lawyers working with refugees in İstanbul has been unable to reach their refugee clients for at least 11 days.

Following operations targeting refugees, especially after the attack on the Santa Maria Church on January 28th and the period post-New Year's Eve, numerous refugees were detained on different dates.

However, at least 35 refugees, including women and seriously ill individuals, cannot be contacted. These refugees are not held in deportation centers or prisons, and their lawyers have not been informed of their whereabouts.

According to one claim, these refugees are being held in a darkened area in the basement of the Urfa Deportation Center. Lawyers visiting the Urfa migration office are told, "There is no one like that here."

"Children handed over to neighbors"

Lawyer Halim Yılmaz, speaking to bianet, shared the following information on the matter:

"Let's say they detain someone as a suspect in the church attack; they also take other family members living in the same house. Especially after the church attack, many refugees were detained in this way. Most of these people are individuals sought in their home countries for political reasons and have refugee status. They all have the commonality of being from former Soviet countries."

Yılmaz, mentioning two pregnant women among those unaccounted for, added, "They took both the mother and father from one family and handed the children over to neighbors. The children ask every day, 'Where is our father?' Some have chronic heart conditions. Some are officially recognized as refugees. They are not illegal immigrants; they are individuals protected by Turkey according to UN criteria, but we haven't heard from them for a long time."

Expressing concern that the Directorate of Migration is trying to create an area similar to "Guantanamo" where the law does not apply, lawyer Yılmaz stated:

"Just as the law was suspended in the United States after the 9/11 attacks, a camp where the law does not function was established in Guantanamo, and there was no law there. A similar practice is currently being attempted for these refugees in Turkey. We demand an immediate explanation of where the refugees are."

"Contrary to international law"

To draw attention to the issue, lawyers sent a statement titled "Where are our clients referred to the Directorate of Migration?":

"We, the undersigned lawyers, especially those referred from the Istanbul Police Department to the Directorate of Migration and approached by their families for legal assistance, have been unable to reach and obtain information about our foreign national clients for a long time."

"Although we have personally applied to the deportation centers in Istanbul and many provinces, no information is provided about the situation and fate of our clients."

"The families of the individuals who cannot be reached have been waiting anxiously because they have not heard from their relatives for a long time and cannot obtain any information about what happened to them."

"Among the individuals not heard from are high school students, small children, the elderly, individuals with serious chronic illnesses, and pregnant women. Every day, the concern of both us lawyers and the families of the individuals is increasing."

"According to the Constitution, the Law on Lawyers, and Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, individuals whose freedom is restricted by administrative decisions by the Directorate of Migration have legal rights. These include being notified of administrative decisions through proper legal procedures, being represented by a lawyer, objecting to decisions, filing lawsuits, meeting with their families and lawyers, and making phone calls."

"However, our clients have been kept undocumented for a long time, they are not allowed to meet or obtain information, their ties with their families and lawyers are severed, they are completely isolated from the outside world, and they are kept under unknown conditions."

"Keeping individuals in this way is contrary to both national and international law, humiliating, and constitutes ill-treatment."

Demands

"We call on all authorities, especially the Ministry of the Interior and the Directorate of Migration, to act in accordance with the law on this matter," said Yılmaz, listing the following requests:

1. Immediately provide access for lawyers and families to our foreign national clients referred to the Directorate of Migration.

2. Ensure that the long-standing practice of illegal and unlawful detention is not used against individuals, and inform lawyers of administrative decisions taken against them.

3. Apply the right of notification to a relative for individuals placed under administrative supervision.

4. Conduct the necessary inspections to ensure that deportation centers operate in compliance with human rights standards. (EMK/VK)