Turkey: UNHCR Turkey Operational Update, February 2019
Key Figures (as of 31 February 2019)
4 million Refugees and asylum-seekers in Turkey, including over 3.6 million Syrian nationals and close to 400,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers of other nationalities
3,533 Refugees submitted for resettlement consideration to 11 different countries so far in 2019
100 Ministry of Justice staff received international protection training in February 2019 to strengthen access to legal services by refugees
Update on the key developments in February 2019
In cooperation with the Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM), the verification of registration records of over 2.7 million Syrians was completed as of 15 February. Thanks to the verification, the data of 76 per cent of the registered Syrian population in Turkey has been verified and updated.
Through the protection desks at verification centres, Syrians with specific needs who had not yet been identified were able to register their needs and benefit from referrals to key services.
As part of the collaboration with DGMM on the closure and decongestion of Temporary Accommodation Centres (TACs), discussions took place on the eligibility for the second instalment of the relocation grant to persons who had not yet updated their registration since leaving the TACs. This led to an additional 6,800 refugees receiving their entitlements out of the total of close to 11,160 refugees, who relocated to host communities from TACs. Furthermore, UNHCR continued to assess the impact of the Alternative to Camps programme through post relocation monitoring targeting a sample of some 930 persons. In February, over 460 beneficiaries were interviewed by phone surveys and the other half of the sample population will be interviewed through house visits by a third party in consultation with DGMM.
The Budapest Process held its 6th Ministerial Conference in Istanbul on 19-20 February 2019, gathering 46 countries, European institutions, and 10 regional and international organisations. The five-year Call for Action and the Istanbul commitments were proposed during the Conference, adopted by close to 40 countries, and finalized for endorsement. States agreed to endorse and implement the Call for Action to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration along the Silk Routes, which also includes respecting the rights of refugees in line with international standards. In addition, the Istanbul commitments build upon the achievements of the Budapest Process and introduce five commitments to be upheld in migration management, including to human rights, partnership and solidarity.
