Some landlords in İstanbul are allegedly exploiting refugees by charging large upfront rental payments and then reporting them to authorities for deportation, effectively pocketing the rent while evicting the tenants.
Soohasadat Mojsenalhosseini, a 27-year-old Iranian refugee, claims to have fallen victim to such a scheme. After paying six months’ rent in advance for a property where he operated a restaurant, the landlords reportedly filed a complaint against him, accusing him of “insult,” he told Mezopotamya Agency (MA).
Following the complaint, authorities sent Mojsenalhosseini to the Selimpaşa Removal Center in Arnavutköy, outskirts of İstanbul, citing his lack of a Social Security Institution (SSK) registration, despite being registered in BAĞ-KUR, the social security agency for business owners or self-employed people in Turkey. After a month-long appeal, he was released and able to return to his restaurant.
However, Mojsenalhosseini’s release angered one of the landlords, Erkan E., who allegedly stormed into the restaurant on Nov 12 wielding a machete. Witnesses reported that he threatened staff and damaged property, though no injuries were reported. Police detained Erkan E., but he was released soon after. Upon release, he lodged another complaint against Mojsenalhosseini, again accusing him of insults.
Following this second complaint, Mojsenalhosseini was once more taken to the Selimpaşa Removal Center.
The scheme
Mojsenalhosseini’s attorney, Hebun Hakan Akkaya, stated that this pattern of collecting advance rent and then seeking deportation of refugee tenants is becoming more common.
“Some landlords take large sums from refugees and then report them, keeping the rent,” Akkaya explained. He described these complaints as purely profit-driven and said he plans to inform the prosecutor’s office about the issue.
Akkaya argued that refugees are being deprived of their freedom based solely on administrative decisions, with judicial processes often delayed and the presumption of innocence disregarded.
He called for a review of the system and stressed the need for judicial oversight of administrative detention orders, emphasizing that these practices violate legal and human rights standards. (VK)
