We can analyze the migration case of Türkiye in 2021 within the context of regular migration, irregular migration, international protection, and social harmonization. This article briefly analyses key issues on human mobility in Türkiye between 1 January and 30 December 2021.
Türkiye has been hosting more refugees in comparison to any other country in the world since 2014. This has also remained the case for 2021. With its shortcomings and strengths, Türkiye continues to ensure sustainability in health, education, and work-life services provided to the Syrian population under “Temporary Protection” in cooperation and coordination with international institutions and organizations, non-governmental organizations, and municipalities; that is the most significant issue related to advancements on migration in 2021 when the impacts of COVID-19 continue.
Another thing about 2021 is that it was a year in which we witnessed significant institutional change regarding migration governance. Operating with central and provincial organizations since 2014, the T.R. Directorate General of Migration Management of the Ministry of Interior was established with Law 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection dated 11 April 2013. Its name changed to “T.R. Presidency of Migration Management of the Ministry of Interior” with the Presidential Decree on the Amendment of Some Presidential Decrees published in the official gazette dated 11 April, 2013. T.R Presidency of Migration Management of the Ministry of Interior will operate its activities in accordance with the legislation and the policies of the Presidency with central, provincial, and international organizations to develop administrative capacity and legislation on migration management.
Core responsibilities of the Presidency of Migration Management include combating irregular migration and deportation procedures, international protection, harmonization and communication, foreigners and management services.The provincial organization consists of “Provincial Directorate of Migration Management, District Directorate of Migration Management, Provincial and District Migration Coordination Board.” Overseas organization consists of “Migration Counsellors and Migration Attaches.” The area of responsibility of the Directorate General of Harmonization and Communications includes harmonization activities, communication, cooperation and coordination with public institutions, relations with civil society and foreign communities, migration policies and projects. The area of responsibility of the Directorate General of International Protection is international protection, temporary protection, resettlement and voluntary return, origin research, and protection of victims of human trafficking. The Directorate General of Foreigners deals with residence permits, visa, border gates foreigner transactions, Turks and related communities. The field of work of the Directorate General of Combating Irregular Migration and Deportation Procedures is deportation procedures, public security and entry bans, monitoring irregular migrant, and management of removal centres.
In regard to public administration, the “Migration board” is one of the most vital institutions managing migration procedures in Türkiye. The Migration Board determines strategies for foreigner migration, ensures coordination, and monitors implementations, and it gathers under the presidency of the Minister of Interior since 21 October 2018. The Migration Board gathered on 15 September 2021 and it concentrated on activities including deciding on regulations on the creation of the migration strategy document, the adoption of Türkiye’s National Harmonization Strategy Document and National Plan of Action, and issues regarding residence permits in various boards, as well as setting forth Türkiye’s current situation in the field of migration within the scope of the Migration Action Plan.
Türkiye’s objectives regarding migration are listed in the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan of Presidency of Migration Management. In this respect; prioritized fields include manageable regular migration, combating irregular migration, active international protection mechanism, combating human trafficking and the protection of victims, mutual harmonization and communication, and strong institutional capacity. Performance assessments on planned activities within the framework of the Strategic Plan indicate that goals and objectives achieved in many fields, along with the advancements on vaccination in the pandemic period.
Data on the importance and scope of activities, strategies, and implementations of migration management becomes more evident when data from 2021 is analyzed. Residence permit statistics released by the Presidency of Migration Management demonstrate that the number of foreigners with a residence permit was 886,653 in 2020. As of 30 December 2021 this number reached 1,311,633 (963,562 short-term residence permits 117,071 student residence permits 89,752 family residence permits 141,248 other). The highest number of foreigners with a residence permit is respectively Istanbul (692,007), Antalya (125,376), and Ankara (101,151). Foreigners living in Türkiye with a short-term residence permit originated from Iraq, Turkmenistan, and Syria. Concerning procedures related to residence permit procedures, a guide on how residence permit regulations work has been issued.9
Irregular migration is another prominent issue on the agenda of human mobility in Türkiye in 2021. In this context, 122,302 irregular migrants were caught in 2020, and this number reached 162,371 as of 30 December 2021. The most common origins of these irregular migrants include Afghanistan, Syria, and Pakistan.10 As a result of the activities regarding combating migrant trafficking, the number of cases was 4,282 in 2020, and this number reached 7,762 in 2021. The intense migration wave from Afghanistan caused the current approach to migration in Türkiye to be put under review. Multiple irregular migrant rescue operations were conducted throughout 2021.11 When assessing the situation of Afghan migration which gained speed in August 2021, as emphasized by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the migration issue is “both a humanitarian and a strategic issue,” and Türkiye’s policies should be created in a way that “social peace in the country is not disturbed, there are not any additional burdens to the economy, and new security issues do not emerge.”12 The European Union Turkey Report dated 19 October 2021 also demonstrates that Türkiye is a key actor in migration management in the Mediterranean Region.13
The number of Syrians under temporary protection was 3,641,370 in 2020. This number reached 3,736,799 as of 30 December 2021. Syrians with temporary protection status mostly live in Istanbul, Gaziantep, and Hatay. The number of Syrians under temporary protection who reside in 7 refuge centers in 5 provinces (Adana, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, Osmaniye) is 51,471. As a result of the activities of Syrian settlement to third countries, the highest rate of resettlements is respectively Canada (8,809), the US (4,096), and the United Kingdom (2,567). Within the scope of the ‘one-for-one’ formula, the number of Syrians who have left the country reached 31,616.14
2021 was a year defined by discussions about the renewal of the EU-Turkey Statement, 18 March 2016, which was a turning point for activities related to Syrians under temporary protection in Türkiye.15 In 2021, there was progress in financial resources allocated for the activities conducted within the framework of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRIT).16
Türkiye signed the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings on 19 March, 2009, and the convention entered into force on 1 September, 2016.17 Türkiye Combating Human Trafficking Summit was held between 29 and 30 July, 2021 in Türkiye within the scope of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. In 2021 when the number of combating human trafficking activities increased, Strengthening the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking and Migration in Türkiye from a Human Rights Perspective project made progress, which is supported by the European Union and the European Council. The support given to the victims of human trafficking and their access to health services, and some statistics, were analyzed at the Coordination Commission on Combating Human Trafficking meeting on 14 December, 2021. Multiple consultation meetings, and trainings were carried out to ensure dialog and coordination between shareholders to combat against human trafficking.18
Harmonization and communication activities for foreigners were actively operated in 2021. Foreigners Communication Center (YİMER) ranked first in the Contact Center World competition within the category of “Best Emergency Services” in March 2021.19
The Workshop on Social Adaptation Activities and Plans for the Future was held, which aims to ensure the continuity of social harmonization activities also in the COVID-19 period in cooperation with public institutions and organizations, municipalities, and NGOs. Harmonization Meetings, Harmonization Just Us Conversations, District Harmonization Meetings: Local Authorities Workshop and Consultation Meetings, and Local Women Meetings were held in various provinces. Türkiye has completed the first year of the Harmonization and Social Cohesion Programme across the country as of August 2021. The Workshop on Consultation with Local Bodies within the Field of Migration was held in April 2021 when the crucial role of the local administrations in migration was acknowledged. Upon International Migrants Day on 18 December, activities themed Türkiye as a Bridge between Cultures were carried out in Eskişehir, and other 12 provinces with Migration Information Centres.20
The tension between Syrians under temporary protection and the locals escalated, while extensive harmonization activities were conducted. After the incidents that resulted in a young Turkish citizen’s death, administrative boundaries of Ankara were closed to registration of temporary protection as of 2 September.21 To prevent provocative approaches, which became widespread on social media and posed a threat to social harmonization processes, activities towards necessary judiciary and administrative procedures gained speed by analyzing the source of this behavior since October 2021.22
In the One Picture a Thousand Stories competition, nearly ten thousand pictures emphasizing the diversity of the interaction between foreigners and society competed and the results were announced on 11 December, 2021. The Union of Turkish Bar Associations hosted a Problems Faced in Migration Law and Possible Solutions Workshop in which they tried to come up with suggestions in the light of analyses in terms of judicial assistance and attorney services for resolving issues. Activities were conducted on correct information and awareness, dishing out, support in nursing at home services, mask production, and hygiene. These activities were intended for the most vulnerable groups -especially for refugees under temporary protection, especially during the COVID-19 period.23
By establishing the Immigration and Refugee Services Directorate, the Turkish Red Crescent provides migrants with services within the framework of the principles and values of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Throughout 2021, together with the Community-Based Migration Programs Coordinator, it continued its activities on protection, promoting livelihood opportunities, children and youth, social and cultural harmonization, psychosocial support, health, and restoring family links. With the Kızılay Card, project refugees were provided with conditional cash transfer for education, in camp food assistance programme, complementary emergency social safety net, vocational course allowance within the framework of the cash-based assistance programs intended for foreigners under international protection, temporary protection, and humanitarian residence permit in Türkiye.24
2021 is defined by activities and institutional transformations on migration, despite the COVID-19 restrictions around public health. Activities related to social harmonization processes continued, and these activities were conducted by public institutions and organizations, international organizations, municipalities, and NGOs in cooperation with each other or individually. During the COVID-19 period, the needs of the Syrian people under temporary protection and individuals under international protection tried to be met with the help of extensive cash and in-kind support for refugees, who are one of the most socioeconomically vulnerable groups. Within the scope of the EU-Turkey Statement dated 2016, a financial resource was expected to be given to Türkiye, and it was intended for supporting the activities on the education of Syrians under temporary protection in the country and improving border protection. Allocation of this resource to Türkiye became definite in 2021. It is intended for activities to be increased, including teacher wages, transportation expenses, training materials, additional courses, Turkish training, and training of teachers, counseling programs, and early child training, especially within the scope of the Project on Promoting Integration of Syrian Kids into the Turkish Education System (PIKTES). Moreover, it is also intended for activities to be funded within the scope of the Strategy to Combat Irregular Migration, which is to be valid between 2021 and 2025.
When taking into consideration the institutional change and performance of the Migration Management, it can be said that indicators in relation to the activities in migration points out to the sustainability of comprehensive progress in institutional structure and liabilities. If the situation is analyzed in terms of Türkiye and the migration issue, it can be said that the dynamism of structural and individual elements which leads to human mobility, is also seen in the migration governance. All of the global mobility and social harmonization processes of the victims of economic, social, and climatic changes are generally carried out through national, and local strategies and implementations. Türkiye seems to continue to be a distinguishable and exemplary case in terms of the importance of the cooperation of international, national and local actors in resolving migration issues and the correspondence of human rights-based principles with current implementations in migration governance. onal, and local strategies and implementations. Türkiye seems to continue to be a distinguishable and exemplary case in terms of the importance of the cooperation of international, national and local actors in resolving migration issues and the correspondence of human rights-based principles with current implementations in migration governance.
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