A year after the earthquake in Türkiye, refugees live in alarming conditions

It’s calm in the Turkish port city of Mersin. Little remains of the chaos that prevailed shortly after the earthquake, when hundreds of thousands from nearby regions sought refuge here. A lot of people have been forced to return to the places they came from, and many of those now live in temporary container camps. Syrian refugees and Turkish earthquake victims are kept strictly separated in those camps. 

‘The accommodation for refugees leaves much to be desired’, says Serhat*, who works for a Turkish aid organisation. ‘The quality of the containers is poor, and the facilities are inadequate. Too many people are forced to share sanitary facilities. Hygiene is also poor, leading to outbreaks of diseases.’ 

Child labour

Türkiye had already been struggling with an economic crisis and soaring inflation. The effects of the devastating earthquake made everything worse: now, housing is incredibly expensive, and work is hard to find. Many refugees went back to where they used to live in Türkiye before the earthquake. However, some could only find shelter in slum-like conditions outside the city or in squalid tent camps in the countryside, where they work in seasonal agriculture. There is a high risk of exploitation there, and families can barely make ends meet. 

‘We distribute nearly 9,000 meals every day to people in need at various locations in southeast Türkiye, says Feras, director of an aid organisation founded by Syrian refugees. ‘After the earthquake, life not only became very difficult for Syrian refugees, but also for many Turks. The cost of living has risen sharply, and poverty is forcing people to make difficult life choices. We see many Syrian children who have to work to financially support their families. They no longer go to school. We also see more forced (child) marriages.’

Turkish aid organisations have also seen more discrimination against refugees. ‘There is more openly expressed hatred and mistrust towards refugees and more bullying in schools’, says Emre, an employee of a third Turkish aid organisation. ‘Many Turks seem to believe that Syrian refugees receive more aid and are given priority by international aid workers.’ 

Refugees are used as scapegoats for many problems. In the lead-up to the presidential elections last May, politicians cleverly exploited this sentiment in society. For example, the opposition promised to expel millions of Syrians from the country if they won. Since the elections, President Erdoğan has been talking about a plan to ‘voluntarily’ repatriate a million Syrians to Syria. Local elections are scheduled for March, and politicians are once again fuelling hate speech.  

Fear reigns among refugees. ‘I do not dare to speak Arabic on the street anymore’, says Youssef*, who fled Syria. ‘I have almost no social contacts left.’

Arrest is a real risk for refugees. Most Syrians have no residence permit; instead, they have a temporary residence status (kimlik) that grants them limited rights and specifies where they may live. Refugees who are caught without a kimlik or outside their designated residential area risk being detained and deported to Syria. 

‘It has become increasingly difficult to obtain or renew documents’, explains Elif, an employee of a Turkish aid organisation. ‘It is also becoming harder to register births or renew residence permits.’ 

Another aid organisation trying to provide legal assistance to refugees reports an increase in detention and deportations since the earthquake. Often, these cases revolve around expired kimliks or tampering with SIM cards. ‘Compared to the situation before the earthquake, we can do less and less to stop deportations’, a staff member explains. ‘Occasionally, we succeed; those are rewarding exceptions.’ 

Many social workers at aid organisations also feel that their current work is harder than it was before the earthquake. ‘I feel powerless because it is increasingly difficult to solve the problems refugees face’, says Amal*, a staff member of an aid organisation. 

Syrian refugee Youssef shares a sentiment that is common among many: ‘Ideally, I would like to leave this country, to travel legally to Europe and work there. But what are my options?’ 

Meanwhile, many people who work for relief organisations are leaving the country. Hadi*, director of a refugee-led organisation, says that after the earthquake, more than half of its staff left for Europe and Canada. ‘They saw no future for themselves here and lived in fear of being arrested and deported to Syria.’ 

On the other hand, Khaled*, founder of another refugee-led organisation in Gaziantep, is determined to stay: ‘I feel a responsibility to stay here, close to Syria, and invest in the future of refugees, whether they stay in Türkiye, go elsewhere or one day contribute to the reconstruction of Syria.’ 

The Dutch Council for Refugees supports various civil society organisations in Türkiye. We share our knowledge and expertise with local organisations and provide financial support for capacity building. This enables them to provide the best possible assistance on-site, and together we can advocate for the interests of refugees. 

*At the request of the parties involved, most names of organisations and individuals have been changed. The real names and organisations are known to the editorial staff.