Refugees Law and Policy in Turkey Refugees Law and Policy | Page 2

Summary
Fefugee Children in Turkey.
Although most refugees seeking asylum in Turkey are from non-European countries,
Turkey’s instrument of accession to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees
limits the scope of the Convention’s application to European asylum seekers, and
Turkey’s Settlement Act still places emphasis on persons of Turkish descent and
culture as the immigrants eligible for settlement in the country and possible
citizenship. While Turkey’s Law on Foreigners and International Protection has
instituted major changes in the country’s asylum system, most current asylum seekers
are placed under “temporary protection” for settlement in another country rather than
being accepted as refugees for settlement in Turkey. In the case of the influx of
migrants from Syria, Turkish authorities have over the years expanded their rights and
protections, but they remain barred from gaining regular refugee status and instead
are classified as beneficiaries of temporary protection.
Applications for refugee status must be filed in person in provincial offices of the
Directorate General of Migration Management. Such applications are registered and
the applicant is then scheduled for an interview. The authorities issue the applicant
and any accompanying family members an International Protection Applicant Identity
Document, valid for six months, upon completion of the interview. Assessment of the
application is to be finalized within six months of the date of its registration. Under
some circumstances, such as giving the authorities misleading information, an
application is handled under an accelerated procedure that may result in its being
rejected.
Under the terms of temporary protection, the authorities provide for refugees’ basic
needs and also furnish social services, translation services, IDs, travel documents,
access to primary and secondary education, and work permits. Applicants for
protection may be obliged by the authorities to live in designated reception and
accommodation centers or in a specific location, and to report to the authorities in a
certain manner or at certain intervals.