Turkish Government Orders Unregistered Syrians to Leave Istanbul by September 24
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Raven Ruma
- . August 3, 2023
- . Update: August 3, 2023 6:26 pm
All Syrians living in Istanbul without a valid registration have lately been ordered by the Turkish authorities to depart by September 24. This action is being taken as criticism and unhappiness toward Turkey’s refugee population, notably its Syrian community, has grown in the wake of the country’s elections in May. As a result of the political climate, issues about refugees’ status and rights have taken centre stage.
Syrians with temporary protection status who do not have registration documents for Istanbul are reportedly ordered to leave the city. To return to the provinces where they are registered, individuals can apply for a road permit. Refugees registered in the regions impacted by the southeastern Turkey earthquakes in February, which claimed more than 50,000 lives, are given an exception. If you don’t follow this instruction, law enforcement agents might send you back to the province where you registered. Additionally, according to government regulations, anyone frequently failing to record their locations without good cause may be forced to leave the country.
Syrian Refugees in Turkey
According to the UN Refugee Agency, over 3.6 million Syrians live in Turkey under temporary protection, with Istanbul having the most significant refugee population at more than 530,000. However, it’s thought that many more people are residing in Turkey illegally. The European Court of Human Rights decided against Turkey last year for forcibly deporting a Syrian refugee back to Syria after getting him to sign a form claiming it was his voluntary return.
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In Turkey, hostility toward refugees, mainly Syrians, has become contentious. Kemal Klçdarolu, an opposition candidate, threatened to deport all refugees during the elections in May. In their anger over losing the election, the secularist opposition has used refugees as scapegoats. All political parties in Turkey have negative attitudes toward refugees. Some detractors claimed that Syrian migrants supported Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and that he had handed them citizenship in exchange for their support. However, the number of refugees who received citizenship did not influence the election.
The economic crisis in Turkey has also been attributed to refugees, as locals struggle to make ends meet in the face of skyrocketing inflation rates. Observers think Erdoan’s aim to win over the public motivates him to address the refugee issue. He wants to give the impression that he is in charge of the situation and sensitive to the public’s concerns by taking decisive action against refugees.
Conversations over refugees in the nation have been more heated in light of the Turkish government’s recent announcement that unregistered Syrians must leave Istanbul. The topic has come to the forefront of political discussion due to the rising unrest and anti-refugee sentiment during and after the May elections. Analysts and watchers are closely monitoring the situation as it develops to determine how the administration will handle the influx of refugees and what impact that will have on both domestic politics and humanitarian issues.
