On 21-22 July, RRT carried out a two-day certificate training for lawyers in the city of Van in Eastern Turkey, in collaboration with the provincial bar association. Van remains an important point of arrival for refugees from Afghanistan and Iran. The city of Van hosts sizeable Afghan and Iranian asylum seeker commumities. There are also two large-scale removal centers in Van province. The training provided a specialization package to the new cohort of lawyers set to take on legal aid cases. In Turkey, the state-funded legal aid scheme is administered by provincial bar associations. Since the 2000s, the Van bar association has been a strong proponent of extending legal aid services to asylum seekers and migrants. The training covered the

On the ocassion of World Refugee Day and the launch of the “In their Own Voices” publication, RRT in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland organized a seminar addressed towards the diplomatic community in Ankara. RRT is currently implementing a project with funding support from the Swiss Embassy aiming to strengthen awareness and sensitivity for unaccompanied minors in Turkey and contribute to national policy making on this topic. The seminar, hosted by the Swiss Embassy, served as launch event for RRT’s new “In their Own Voices” publication, which was developed in the framework of this project and presents testimonies of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in Turkey reflecting their experiences, challenges and aspirations. Presentations were made by RRT child protection program

RRT launches a new publication: “In their Own Voices: Unaccompanied Minors in Turkey”, in Turkish and English. The publication presents testimonies of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in Turkey reflecting their experiences, challenges and aspirations. As per relevant provisions of Turkey’s Law on Foreigners and International Protection and child protection legislation, unaccompanied minors identified by authorities in Turkey are placed in state-run shelters under the authority of Ministry of Family and Social Policy, while their migration procedures are administered by the Directorate General of Migration Management. RRT has been providing legal information and assistance services to unaccompanied minor asylum seekers hosted in state-run shelters in Istanbul for many years. This publication is based on interviews conducted by RRT staff with unaccompanied

RRT begins cooperation with Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) Community Center in Ankara to conduct weekly legal empowerment sessions for refugees and asylum seekers benefitting from the Center’s psychosocial services. To kick off this joint effort an introductory training was delivered by RRT to TRC Community Center staff on June 1st to increase awareness and understanding on the  basic legal framework and procedures applying to refugees and asylum seekers in Turkey. TRC’s Community Center in the Altındağ District of Ankara caters to mostly Syrian refugee population in the locality. It provides a range of psychosocial assistance services to refugee beneficiaries. The legal empowerment sessions to be conducted by RRT, in collaboration with local lawyers previously trained by RRT, will offer information

On 12-13 May 2018, RRT in partnership with ICJ, ECRE and Mülteci-Der, organized a 2-day training for lawyers and NGO legal practitioners from around Turkey on  international and European individual complaint mechanisms relevant for the legal protection of refugees and migrants. The training, attended by representatives of local bar associations in 20 different provinces and various NGOs operating in different parts of Turkey, offered presentations and case studies aiming to equip participants with an understanding of individual complaint mechanisms available under UN and Council of Europe frameworks, relevant procedures and case law. The event was organized in the framework of a project partnership among RRT, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ),  ECRE ve Mültecilerle Dayanışma Derneği (Mülteci-Der) supported by the European

On 26 April 2018, RRT held a 1-day training in Mardin in Southeast Turkey for local lawyers and NGO practitioners.  The seminar covered issues and questions related to the Turkish asylum system, the temporary protection regime in place for refugees from Syria, and work permit applications on asylum seekers. Mardin in Southeast Turkey hosts a significant Syrian refugee population. The event was organized in collaboration with the Mardin Women’s Cooperation Association (MOKİD) and was attended by lawyers from Mardin bar association as well as representatives of 8 local NGOs providing services to refugees and asylum seekers. Presentations by RRT experts were followed by questions and answers reflecting on specific aspects of the Mardin context in relation to procedural practices and

RRT begins cooperation with Zeytinburnu Distinct Municipality in Istanbul to conduct weekly legal empowerment sessions for refugees and asylum seekers resident in the district. The sessions will be targeted towards various communities and profiles and offer legal information and advice on asylum procedures and access to basic rights and services including education, healthcare and income-earning opportunities. The first RRT legal empowerment session in collaboration with Zeytinburnu Municipality was held on April 13th. Zeytinburnu is one of the most populous districts of Istanbul. It is also the home to significant number of asylum seekers and refugees, including those from Afghanistan and Syria. Zeytinburnu Municipality runs social programs for refugees in the district. RRT’s legal empowerment are intended to serve the beneficiaries

On April 14th 2018 RRT held an international workshop in Istanbul on the potentials and challenges of implementing “Alternatives to Detention” (ATDs) in the Turkey context, in collaboration with IDC and European ATD Network. RRT put together the event in collaboration with Interantional Detention Coalition (IDC), which promotes the use of ATDs by governments around the world and the European ATD Network, a new initiative of NGOs piloting and promoting ATD implementation models in various EU Member States. The workshop, attended by representatives of bar associations around Turkey, NGOs, UNHCR and IOM, aimed to equip participants with an introductory understanding of the ATD concept, states’ legal obligation to consider and implement ATDs in migration management and successful implementation models in

RRT publishes the Turkish translation of International Detention Coalition’s (IDC) “There are Alternatives” Handbook on Alternatives to Detention (ATDs) in immigration context. The resource provides a conceptual framework and a catalogue of practices and implementation models from around the world. The publication can be accessed online on the Publications section of the our website. Since 2001, IDC works to promote the use of non-detention alternatives in migration management and advises governments, international organizations and NGOs on implementation models and good practice. IDC’s “There are Alternatives” Handbook, first published in 2011 and subsequently revised in 2015, offers a catalogue of non-detention measures currently in use around the world and policy recommendations for successful implementation models. The Turkish translation of the Handbook,

Refugee Rights Turkey (RRT) launches new project on unaccompanied minors (UMs) with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ankara. The project aims to strengthen awareness and sensitivity for UMs in Turkey and contribute to national policy making in this field. The public awareness component of the project will see RRT generate a publication to channel the experiences and desires of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (UMAs) in Turkey “in their own voices” as a vehicle for self-expression, among other activities aiming to elevate public concern and support for child protection challenges within Turkey’s increasingly multifaceted national migration debate. The policy component of the project envisions study visits to selected European countries to draw from approaches and experiences in protection

Refugee Rights Turkey (RRT) held a two-day certificate training in Ankara on 10-11 March 2018 in collaboration with the Committee for Refugee Rights at Ankara Bar Association. The training catered to lawyers affiliated with the Legal Aid Centre of Ankara Bar Association. In addition to presenters from Refugee Rights Turkey and Ankara Bar Association, experts from UNHCR Turkey, Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) and Ankara University School of Law contributed to the seminar program. The training covered legal grounds and procedural provisions governing temporary protection regime in place for refugees from Syria and international protection procedure applicable to non-Syrian asylum seekers in Turkey as well procedures governing deportation and administrative detention of foreign nationals. Participants were issued certificates

Refugee Rights Turkey website has been renewed. The new website aims to make our various publications and activities more easily accessible to asylum seekers and migrants as well as other interested audiences. It also features some new content not previously available online. The revamped Publications section of the new website features latest, up to date versions of our various legal information materials, videos, reports and position papers. The restructured Activities section of the new website presents a comprehensive chronology of Refugee Rights Turkey’s various project initiatives, partnerships, events and publications since the March 2015 rebranding of the organization. The new website also presents the latest updates regarding Refugee Rights Turkey’s legal assistance services and support measures for lawyers and NGO