Syrian migrants face barriers in accessing basic rights under repatriation pressure, report shows
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The Immigrant and Refugee Solidarity Network released a qualitative field report detailing structural barriers and rights violations faced by Syrian migrant women, LGBTI+s, and children in İstanbul.
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The study reveals that recent administrative regulations and shifting migration policies have left asylum seekers in a state of insecurity, severely hindering long-term social integration.
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High co-payments and a shortage of specialized clinics restrict low-income migrant families from accessing essential healthcare services and preventative care.
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School-aged migrant children frequently face peer bullying and social exclusion, increasing their risk of dropping out and entering informal labor sectors.
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Fear of deportation prevents migrant women from reporting domestic violence to authorities, a vulnerability exacerbated by the withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention.
The Immigrant and Refugee Solidarity Network has released a qualitative field report detailing the structural barriers and rights violations faced by Syrian migrant women, LGBTI+s, and children in İstanbul.
The study, presented at a press conference at the Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul office today, examines how administrative regulations and shifting migration policies implemented since late 2024 affect access to healthcare, justice, and education.
The report is based on nearly 50 in-depth interviews conducted across different districts of İstanbul, and researchers noted that the study is ongoing. Representatives from the network and İHD attended the press conference.
According to official figures cited in the report, the number of Syrian migrants under temporary protection in Turkey decreased from 3.7 million to 2.9 million since the fall of the Baath regime in Dec 2024, with more than 400,000 of them residing in İstanbul.
While authorities present the repatriation of more than 700,000 individuals as voluntary, field data indicates that spatial restrictions, bureaucratic obstacles in updating address registrations, and legal ambiguities leave asylum seekers in a state of insecurity, hindering long-term social integration.
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Focus on vulnerable groups
Speaking on the findings, Özgün Özata from the network said that the research focuses specifically on the loss of rights experienced by vulnerable groups such as women, children, and LGBTI+s.
"These groups face greater difficulties in social life and become easy targets for racist rhetoric," Özata said, adding that while men were also interviewed, the study concentrated heavily on the specific problems of these groups.
"We wanted to see how the loss of rights we read about on paper affects people's daily lives. We observed that these actually lead to quite dramatic consequences, and we want to share them," she added.
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Access to healthcare
The report highlights severe limitations in the healthcare sector, noting that migrants are increasingly reassigned from Family Health Centers to Migrant Health Centers. Because there are only 33 migrant health centers across İstanbul, families must pay a monthly contribution fee of 3,000 liras (~64.8 US dollars) when visiting local clinics.
High co-payments and service fees severely restrict low-income families from accessing preventative care, prenatal monitoring, vaccinations, and regular medications, sometimes driving individuals toward unregistered medical alternatives.
In the field of education, the report documents that school-aged migrant children frequently experience peer bullying and social exclusion. Network representatives warned that without stronger interventions from school administrations and counseling services, children who drop out face a heightened risk of social isolation and informal labor.
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Women avoid reporting domestic violence
Regarding access to justice, the study reveals that migrant women who experience domestic violence are often afraid to approach the police or judicial mechanisms due to a fear of deportation, a vulnerability exacerbated by Turkey's decision to leave the İstanbul Convention, a Council of Europe treat for combating violence against women.
The report cites an instance where a migrant woman applied to a migrant health center for an abortion and was accused of "unchastity" because her residence records did not show her living with her husband.
The report also addresses conditions at removal centers, stressing that individuals under administrative detention must have continuous access to legal counsel, qualified interpretation, and basic humanitarian amenities to uphold international law.
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Recommendations
The Immigrant and Refugee Solidarity Network called on legislators, local authorities, and civil society to shift migration policies away from security restrictions toward humanitarian assurance and mutual social cohesion.
The network urged officials to alleviate financial and bureaucratic obstacles to health and education, strengthen legal aid for vulnerable women and children, and ensure transparency in administrative detention procedures. (EMK/VK)
Editor of bianet Women’s News (2018). Editor of bianet Women’s and LGBTI+ News from October 2018 to February 2025. She conducts workshops on gender-focused journalism and reporting on gender-based violence. She is among the founders of the Women and LGBTI+ Commission of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS). She is a board member of the TGS Istanbul Branch for the 2023–2027 term. She received the Musa Anter Journalism Award in 2011 and the Turkish Psychiatric Association’s Best News Award in 2024. She worked as a reporter for Cumhuriyet, BirGün, İMC TV, DİHA, Jinha, and Jin News, and also worked for local newspapers in Rize. Her news reports and articles have been published in Sivil Sayfalar, Yeşil Gazete, Journo, and trade magazines. She is one of the founding writers of GOR, a Hemşin culture magazine. She contributed writings to the books Yeşilden Maviye Karadenizden Kadın Portreleri, Sırtında Sepeti, and Medya ve Yalanlar. She was a bianet intern in 2000. She graduated from the Department of International Relations at Istanbul Bilgi University.
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