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UNHCR Turkey Operational Update, March 2020

Pays
Türkiye
+ 1
Sources
UNHCR
Date de publication
Origine
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Key Figures

Refugees and asylum-seekers in Turkey including almost 3.6 million Syrian nationals close to 330,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers of other nationalities. Over 98% of Syrian refugees live across Turkey in 81 provinces

49,200 followers of UNHCR’s Communication with Communities Facebook page, known as the UNHCR Turkey Information Board

2,054 refugees departed for resettlement in 2020 as of end of March, 74 per cent of whom are Syrians

5,848 people Evacuated from the Pazarkule (Edirne) area on 27 March as a preventive measure against COVID-19 and transferred to 14 days quarantine in different locations across Turkey (according to Ministry of Interior figures)

Overview and developments of the situation at the Western borders of Turkey

Following developments in Idlib, Syria, on 28 February, President Erdogan announced that Turkey would open its western borders and allow refugees and migrants to pass freely. The announcement prompted movements to Turkey’s western border area with efforts to cross into Greece. A significant number of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants gathered at the land-borders, in particular at Pazarkule, as well as in smaller numbers across villages along the Evros-Meric river.

Estimates of the numbers of people gathered at Pazarkule and other locations along the land borders ranged between 12,000-25,000 but began to stabilise and decreased gradually, with increasing efforts to encourage returns to cities of residences, including by offering free transportation by buses, provided by the authorities. After 9 March, the Pazarkule area was almost fully covered with tents.

The situation at the Western border was difficult, including due to weather conditions and was further exacerbated by the risk posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Turkish authorities therefore intensified their encouragement for people to return to their cities of residence and particularly from 21 March onward more people left the area. By 26 March, as a preventive measure and in order to contain any spread of the virus within the Pazarkule area, the remaining 5,848 persons in Pazarkule were evacuated and were transferred to closed facilities in nine provinces.

In the initial days, the groups at the land border area comprised, according to observations by different sources, mainly nationals of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, with a smaller group from Syria, Nigeria and Cameroon. Estimates indicated that individuals were from 29 countries, one-third from Afghanistan, one-third from Syria, with the majority of those remaining from Iran, Somalia and Iraq. Women, children, and elderly people were among them. The group consisted of both registered and un-registered people who had come from different cities in Turkey. UNHCR’s mission team in Pazarkule interviewed persons who had arrived from different parts of Turkey. The nationalities of persons interviewed were Afghan, Syrian, Somalian and Senegalese. Some interviewees were accompanied by family members including persons with medical concerns, pregnant women and children. They had been motivated by public announcements of the Turkish authorities on the opening of borders and the high number of persons crossing to Greece. Some had sold all their belongings before heading to Edirne and said they had nothing to go back to. Some mentioned that they had left their families behind, with the intention to assess the conditions first. For some cases, their money had been taken either during push-back incidents or by smugglers and even though they would have liked to return to their provinces of registration in Turkey, they were unable to do so. They indicated that should there be support, they would be willing to return to their provinces.

On 31 March, DGMM issued a press statement on precautionary steps taken for people who were transferred from Pazarkule and moved into quarantine at various removal centres across the country. The press release stated that upon conclusion of the quarantine period, and as per instructions from the Minister of Interior, no foreigner would be prevented from returning to provinces of registration. It also detailed the precautionary measures taken, including disinfecting the tents in the Pazarkule area, awareness on preventive measures, supporting officials and workers in the area and eventually dispersing the camp to prevent a public health risk. For those who were transferred to removal centres and placed under quarantine, medical checks were carried out, and people were being monitored by doctors from the Provincial Directorate of Health during the quarantine period.

The Deputy Governor of Edirne assigned the coordination of humanitarian assistance in the districts along the border to different actors. The provision of emergency assistance took place for the most part in Pazarkule, and to a more limited extent in Meric, Ipsala and Uzunkopru. The Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) was responsible for the coordination of distributions which took place on a daily basis. The Turkish Red Crescent and the Humanitarian Relief Foundation responded to humanitarian needs in other crossing points such as Meric, İpsala and Uzunkopru under the coordination of Edirne PDMM and Edirne Governorate. Three medical tents were set up in Pazarkule with around 40 medical staff and three ambulance teams. Furthermore, the Provincial Directorate of Family, Labour and location of distribution points, limited hygiene number of WASH facilities and their locations subjecting women and children to harassment and violence, lack of proper lighting, security, the prevalence of persons with specific needs in the encampment area, lack of documentation, limited access to reliable information-sharing and communication channels, as well as lack of information on referral pathways for registered and unregistered individuals.