Where do most of the refugees in Turkey come from?

As of October 2017, of the non-Syrian population of protection-seekers in Turkey: about 44% are from Afghanistan, 42% are from Iraq, and 10% are from Iran. The remainder are from other countries around the world.

When did Turkey stop registering refugees from Syria?

Syrian refugees queue for food aid in Gaziantep, Turkey on May 20, 2016. Turkey’s suspension of Syrian refugee registration blocks them from receiving such aid. © 2016 Kyodo/ AP Images

Why is Turkey not a member of the Refugee Convention?

Although Turkey ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the country maintains a geographical limitation that excludes anyone not originally from a European country from full refugee recognition. That means it does not fully grant asylum to people fleeing violence or persecution in Syria and any other non-European country.

Where do Syrian asylum seekers go to enter Turkey?

In practice, the vast majority of Syrian asylum seekers enter Turkey irregularly through the few remaining gaps in Turkey’s border wall in Hatay province. Blocked from registering there, they are unable to lawfully leave Hatay province and travel to other provinces where registration has not been closed.

Where are the Syrian refugees living in Turkey?

A Syrian refugee woman stands at the entrance of the container where her family is living, at the Oncupinar camp for Syrian refugees next to a border crossing in southeastern Turkey on Thursday, March 17, 2016. Adib, 33, made the journey from Damascus to Qamishli. It was his third attempt to leave the country.

Is the EU sending refugees back to Turkey?

The plan is controversial with human rights groups but allows migrants and refugees that came to Europe from Turkey to be sent back. In exchange, Turkey is to receive €6 billion in assistance for refugees, have renewed EU membership talks and visa-free travel in the Schengen area for Turkish citizens.

How did Turkey deal with the refugee crisis?

Though the refugee crisis was not of Ankara’s making, and the open door policy toward refugees has been widely commended, the way dynamics have evolved leaves refugees feeling instrumentalised in both Turkey’s domestic politics and its EU relations. The EU-Turkey refugee deal plays into this picture in complex ways.

How long does it take to resettle a refugee in Turkey?

This process is lengthy. UNHCR’s operation is not equipped for the amount of asylum-seekers currently applying in Turkey. Therefore, individuals generally wait years for the RSD procedure to be completed. If eligible for resettlement, the process takes even longer.