Statement of the Solidarity Council of Iranian Asylum seekers and Refugees in Turkey on the occasion
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According to UNHCR reports around 1% of the global population which is about 100 million people were forced to leave their home. The number includes refugees and people seeking asylum. The International Organization for Migration also reported in May this year that a record 59.1 million people were displaced within their homelands last year by conflict which was four million more than in 2020. The same report revealed that Conflict and violence triggered 14.4 million internal displacements in 2021, a nearly 50 per cent increase over the previous year. The most recent report produced by UNHCR in May 2022 demonstrates that there were only 4.6 million people seeking asylum
One of the most significant parts of the UN report is the statistics of the countries with the highest number of asylum seekers and refugees, Turkey, Colombia and Uganda! These are the three countries that hosted more refugees than any other country in the world last year.
The global response, and in particular the response of European countries to the growing number of displaced persons, which, in part due to the spread of poverty, discrimination, conflict and insecurity, has been largely shameful. They have failed to fulfil their commitment in providing humanitarian support to the most desperate and vulnerable people of the world. The situation that has largely been generated by their catastrophic imperialistic approach that has created or contributed to war and regional conflict as well as supporting some of the most brutal regimes on the planet.
As conflict, insecurity, poverty and suppression has increasingly dominated many so called developing countries particularly in the Middle East , North Africa, Africa and south and central America, Western countries have produced anti refugees laws and put excessive measures in place to deter people seeking asylum there. Denmark and the British Government have already planned to send asylum seekers to Rwanda instead of letting them entering these countries and having their asylum claims heard! The catastrophic consequences of such racist, brutal approach and policies has already been observed by the whole world in Libya where thousands of displaced people who are simply seeking security, safety and a place to live humanly, are put in camps and detentions centres. These centres have now become a place for slavery, rape, torture, discriminations and killing. The current living conditions of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in camps in Lebanon and Jordan or in refugee centres in Central African countries is nothing short of Libya. Where human dignity, pride and humanity are worthless.
There are about 30,000 Iranian refugees and asylum seekers live in Turkey. Most of these people have escaped from the hell that the Islamic regime of Iran has created for the vast majority of the Iranian people. A society that under the rule of the Iranian regime’s systematic repression, discrimination, poverty and the violation of social and individual rights has forced these people to leave the country.
Iranian asylum seekers flee to Turkey for safety, security and having a humane life with respect and dignity. They approach the UNHCR and apply for asylum. In the past few years, an increasing number of these asylum seekers have been waiting for a response from the UNHCR or the Turkish government which is also responsible for processing and responding to asylum seekers claims. There are many people whose asylum applications have been accepted for years and are waiting to be transferred to third countries.
The living conditions of these Iranians in Turkey have never been easy. Lack of employment rights and job security, severe restrictions on the use of educational and health facilities, the right to choose where to live and travel, and many other social issues, including the harsh treatment of the Turkish government's security, military and administrative apparatus, are issues they face on a daily basis. They are struggling.
In the meantime and in addition to the above mentioned matters, political and social activists who are waiting to have their asylum applications heard or have been granted refugee status, in some cases for up to 5 years, have always been exposed to security threats from the Iranian’s intelligence and security services operating in Turkey. As the internal, regional and international pressure on the Iranian regime increases all the time for its disestablishing and crises generating approach and practices, these serious risks and threats have become even greater. This has intensified the atmosphere of fear and insecurity among Iranian asylum seekers and refugees in Turkey.
In such circumstances, we hold the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Turkey responsible for our lives, security and well-being. We strongly object to the organization's policy of silence and failure to respond to our legitimate legal and humanitarian demands. We declare that the capacity and tolerance of many of us has long since expired and we understand and maintain our rights to take the necessary steps to pursue our demands and hold the United Nations Office accountable.
We urge all asylum-seeking organisations and individuals to ask the UN Office in Turkey to listen to our demands and adhere to their responsibilities . We demand:
• the acceleration of processing initial and substantial asylum interviews and decision in a timely manger,
• Accelerate the transfer of refugees to third countries
• Accept responsibility for answering questions, concerns and other issues of the instructor
The Solidarity council of Iranian Asylum seekers and Refuge in Turkey
June 2022
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