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Introduction & Context
Since 2014, Türkiye has been managing the world’s largest population of persons under temporary and international protection. As of 2 February 2023, the number of Syrians under temporary protection was more than 3.5 million, almost half of whom are children and around 46 per cent of whom are women and girls. In addition, Türkiye hosts approximately 320,000 international protection applicants and status holders from other countries.
Türkiye’s geography and proud history of welcoming refugees3 contribute to it receiving newly displaced people in need of safety and assistance, as well as migrants moving to and through Türkiye in search of better opportunities. International protection applicants and status holders in Türkiye include various nationalities, with the largest populations coming from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. In 2021, Türkiye was impacted by the Taliban’s sudden assumption of power in Afghanistan which brought additional focus to the ongoing arrival of Afghans travelling via Iran and the large number of unregistered Afghans already living in İstanbul and other parts of the country. Since February 2022, Türkiye has reported the arrival of over 400,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine and seeking safety in the region. There were many Ukrainians with residence permits in Türkiye in 2022, adding to the large number of people in need of international protection being hosted by Türkiye.
Türkiye’s 2013 Law on Foreigners and International Protection (LFIP), and the Temporary Protection Regulation, provide an inclusive legal framework for the lawful stay, registration, documentation and access to rights and services for foreigners in Türkiye.
Despite the increased burden of responding to COVID-19, Türkiye has continued to provide Syrians under temporary protection, international protection applicants and status holders with access to services in national systems, such as health, education, and social services, as stipulated in the LFIP, and the Temporary Protection Regulation. Türkiye’s strong legal and policy framework for temporary and international protection forms the basis of the inclusive approach pursued through the response and benefitting different nationalities of refugees, including 3RP supported activities. The framework also provides for protection procedures such as registration and, with it, access to rights and services at national, provincial, and local levels in health, education, and social services. In addition, based on the Regulation on Work Permits of Foreigners under Temporary Protection, and the Regulation on the Work of International Protection Applicants and International Protection Status Holders, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) provides foreigners seeking asylum in Türkiye with access to formal employment opportunities through work permits.
Türkiye’s legal framework pre-dates the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) but is nevertheless helping to implement the GCR and its vision for better international burden- and responsibility-sharing to ease the pressure on host countries, enhance refugee self-reliance and expand access to third country solutions. By providing persons under temporary and international protection with rights regarding access to public services and formal employment, Türkiye’s approach to refugee assistance has been recognised in international fora such as the Global Refugee Forum as a global model, promoting inclusion of persons under temporary and international protection and contributing to sustainable development, and the international community has maintained its strong commitment to supporting Türkiye’s inclusive approach, including through the 3RP.