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Key Figures (as of 30 August 2019)
4 million Refugees and asylum-seekers in Turkey including over 3.6 million Syrian nationals and close to 400,000 registered refugees and asylumseekers of other nationalities
4,552 Individuals received entrepreneurship training through UNHCR and its partners. 163 individuals received business licenses and 502 business grants
775 Refugees benefitted from Turkish language courses in Public Education Centres in Ankara, Konya, Bursa and Kayseri with the support of UNHCR
Key Developments in August 2019
In cooperation with DGMM and the İzmir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management (PDMM),
UNHCR organized the first threeday regional Migration and Harmonization Workshop for PDMMs in İzmir on 26-28 August. Topics covered included protection, registration, and activities fostering social cohesion and harmonization. Academics from prominent universities in İzmir contributed to the discussions. In total, 35 participants, including DGMM Deputy Director, Director of DGMM Harmonization and Communication Department, UNHCR’s Representative in Turkey, PDMM Directors of seven provinces, and migration experts from nine provinces attended. Participants exchanged experiences and good practices in order to reach collective solutions to identified challenges.
The deadline given to Syrians, who are unregistered in Istanbul to return to their provinces of registration, was extended to 30 October (from a previous deadline of 20 August) according to the Turkish Minister of Interior. The media reported that the Minister had stated that unregistered Syrians were being referred to Temporary Accommodation Centres (TACs) and were being registered and transferred to provinces. UNHCR has been closely engaging with DGMM, in providing support as necessary whether in terms of equipment, staff or communications materials, and has been monitoring the situation, both in Istanbul and in provinces receiving Syrians from Istanbul.
Border crossings for Syrian nationals for Eid al-Adha visits started on 22 July 2019 according to announcements released on websites of Governorates of Gaziantep, Hatay, and Kilis. According to these announcements, departures from Turkey to Syria ended on 9 August, and returns to Turkey started on 19 August and will continue until the end of 2019. According to media reports, some 40,150 Syrian nationals crossed into Syria through Öncüpınar Border Gate for Eid al-Adha between 22 July and 9 August, while around 4,000 Syrian nationals had returned to Turkey through the same border gate by 26 August. The procedures implemented for Eid al-Adha visits are identical to those implemented for Eid al-Fitr. According to the media, around 7,000 Syrian nationals who had crossed into Syria for Eid al-Fitr have already returned to Turkey through the Öncüpınar border gate.