Refugee Rights Türkiye, in cooperation with Özyeğin University Faculty of Law Legal Clinics, conducted the “Refugee Law Mock Law Office” program between 7 April and 6 May 2026. A total of 15 law students, mostly third- and fourth-year students, participated in the program.
Over the course of the five-week program, students gained foundational knowledge on the international protection system, international protection procedures in Türkiye, and remedies against administrative decisions through self-learning modules prepared by Refugee Rights Türkiye. As the program progressed, students worked in groups on case studies inspired by real files and discussed legal issues that may arise in the international protection procedures of persons with specific needs, including unaccompanied children, survivors of torture, and survivors of gender-based violence.
In the final stage of the program, students prepared a petition challenging a fictional decision rejecting an international protection application and participated in a mock hearing. Throughout the process, expert lawyers from Refugee Rights Türkiye provided students with feedback and guidance on case analysis, petition drafting, use of case law, and preparation for hearings.
The program concluded on 6 May 2026 with the mock hearing, an evaluation session, and the presentation of certificates of participation. Refugee Rights Türkiye also contributed to Özyeğin University Faculty of Law’s “Social Responsibility and Law” course on 29 April 2026, sharing experiences on lawyering in civil society and its work in the field of refugee law. We would like to thank Dr. Selmin Cansu Demir, Attorney-at-Law, Lecturer and Coordinator of the Özyeğin University Faculty of Law Legal Clinics, for this valuable cooperation, and the MATRA Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the Dutch Council for Refugees for their support in making this program possible.
This practice-oriented program on migration and asylum law with future legal professionals was also a source of great excitement for us. We look forward to continuing such initiatives with great enthusiasm.
