Refugees usually draw our attention when they drown at sea or are caught in big groups; they are then spoken of in the media. The latest example is the refugee drama in Izmir, which twisted hearts and stamped on human dignity. While it is still not clear how many refugees died, 46 of them are definitely dead, and the bodies of around 30 more are being searched for in the sea. Only 6 refugees were saved.
Not the first drama...
This has perhaps been the biggest refugee drama, but it is not the first. These people, who leave their countries in fear of persecution, fight the same problems and struggle every day. Their hopes are not defeated by being on the margins of life. Taking great risks, they put to sea in search for a humane life, in the hands of human traffickers.
None of them are adventurers. They are all the clearest reflections of the inequality, imbalance and intolerance of human rights in the world. These people put to sea because the treatment of refugees and migrants is inhumane. And how many of us have thought about these people and why they choose this road which may lead to death? And, more importantly, how many of us listen to the voice of refugees? Look at what some of them have said on the www.multeci.net website (mülteci meaning refugee in Turkish):
"I am Leyla, a 19-year old girl. I have lived in Turkey together with my family for six years. We are a family of five from Iran, but because we came via Northern Iraq, they call us 'Northern Iraqis'. We came to Turkey in 2002. In Van (a city near the borders), we introduced ourselves to the United Nations. In 2004, we were accepted by the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR). But up to now, they have not sent us anywhere and they will not."
"Before I came to Turkey, I went to school and I was going to have a future. But since we came to Turkey, I have not gone to school, partly because we thought we would leave, and for other reasons. Now I have no future."
[...]
"Do you think it is easy to be in a different country, with a father and mother who do not speak the language, have no money and are ill? To wait one, two, three years? Please try to see us. We are still alive."
[...]
"We sleep from morning to evening and we all have neuroses. Please understand our feelings and problems and solve them. Do not forget us and mention us in your works."
[...]
"I have been a refugee for ten years. I still do not have a home where I can live together with my wife and children. I am not at peace. As a husband and father I feel ashamed. Because my wife and children have suffered for my convictions. I entered Turkey illegally. On 12 April 2003 I was accepted as a refugee by the UNHCR office in Turkey. But that has not brought any results. The UNHCR Turkey Office says that I have to wait because I cam from Northern Iraq. Do I have a right to live like a human being or not? Why do I have three documents showing my refugee status? But why was I a vagabond in Iraq and am still a vagabond in Turkey?"
The responsibility of us all
In order to understand the problem and listen to refugees, one does not need to look far or be an expert on political and economic issues. It is not difficult to find out about these people's lives and the reasons why they fled their countries. If we believe in human rights, then we all have to work on migration and displacement, the most important issue in the world. It is no use to watch these people's dramas on TV in the evening as if one was watching a film, to lament them a little and feel a little sorry.
Inform yourselves
You could visit the www.multeci.net website, which supports refugees. You may find a lot of information about the asylum seeking system in Turkey, as well as documentaries and pictures about refugees, letters from refugees, their stories, information about theory and practice concerning refugees and women and children refugees.
The aim of the site is to develop the process of seeking refuge in favour of asylum seekers, and in a manner that respects human rights. Everyone can do something about migration and refugees. The first step is to learn. (SA/TK/AG)
*Senar Ataman is the editor of multeci.net.
