UN project to support Turkey assisting refugees

By Ayse Humeyra Atilgan

ANKARA

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Thursday launched a project to help Turkey provide better assistance to millions of refugees and asylum-seekers.

The €2.7-million project "Reinforcement of Turkey’s National Asylum System" will support Turkey in its efforts to establish an efficient and institutionalized national asylum system over a three-year period, the UNHCR said in a written statement.

Turkey now hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, including more than 3 million Syrian refugees and some 320,000 asylum-seekers and refugees of other nationalities.

The UNHCR quoted Paolo Artini, UNHCR representative in Turkey, as saying: "The project we launch today represents a very good opportunity to support Turkey in providing quality protection and assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers."

The Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU) is the contracting authority of the project, and the Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) is the direct beneficiary, the UN refugee agency said.

Throughout the three-year project, the UNHCR will organize training, study tours, and field visits to enhance the capacity of the migration management staff at the central and provincial level.

This will include the development of standard operating procedures and information materials as well as an e-learning platform.

The project will also target the staff of the Justice Ministry, Family and Social Policies Ministry, as well as NGOs and bar association lawyers.

"While dealing with a mass influx of refugees during past years, the Government of Turkey has established a robust rights-based asylum framework through the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (LFIP), which regulates access to rights, and obligations of all persons in need of international protection," the UNHCR statement read.

"Hosting the largest number of refugees in the world, Turkey has been shouldering a great responsibility in protecting and assisting in a generous manner refugee and asylum-seeking children, and men from crisis areas."