Protection

States protect the rights of their citizens. But when people become refugees, this safety net may disappear.

Refugees fleeing war or persecution can be very vulnerable. They have no protection from their own state, and it is often actors of their own state that is persecuting rather than protecting them.

At UNHCR, we seek to uphold the basic human rights of uprooted people in countries to which they have fled and seek to ensure that refugees will not be returned involuntarily to a country where they could face persecution. Longer-term, we also work to find solutions, by supporting voluntary repatriation, local integration in countries of asylum or resettlement and complementary safe pathways to third countries.

Promoting Refugee Protection

Our activities to promote refugee protection include:

• Promoting accession to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
• Assisting States to enact or revise national refugee legislation, including administrative instructions and operational guidelines, and to implement national refugee status determination procedures.

• Strengthening relevant administrative and judicial institutions, training staff of government and non-governmental agencies, and liaising with relevant human rights bodies.

   

Registration and Refugee Status Determination

• The Presidency of Migration Management (PMM), as the national authority established by the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, is responsible for registering and processing temporary and international protection applications in Türkiye. UNHCR has provided support to PMM during its establishment, including with registration of international protection applicants and referral processes. As of 10 September 2018, UNHCR stopped registering foreigners wishing to apply for international protection in Türkiye, but continues to support the registration capacity of PMM. In close consultation with PMM, UNHCR continues case processing within the context of resettlement considerations.
• Pursuant to the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, foreigners who would like to apply for temporary and international protection in Türkiye shall approach the Provincial Directorates of Migration Management (PDMM) in the cities upon entry to the country. PDMMs will initiate and undertake registration and further processing of the international protection applications lodged by individuals.
• UNHCR continues to provide counseling services, to refugees and asylum-seekers in Türkiye.

• In strengthening national registration and international protection procedure, UNHCR works closely with PMM and provides technical and material support.

   

Inclusion into Services

UNHCR supports public institutions that provides services for persons with specific needs including Ministry of Family and Social Services.

The Ministry of Family and Social Services (MoFSS) is the main public institution that supports persons with specific needs, providing social services and assistance in Türkiye through a nationwide set-up. Through its network of social service centres (SSCs) and other social institutions, MoFSS provides a wide range of preventive and protective measures, including outreach activities (household visits), psycho-social support and rehabilitation services, notably for women and children. In addition to this, MoFSS delivers protective and preventive services aimed at strengthening the protection capacities of families and communities through structured parenting and community awareness programmes. MoFSS also provides cash and in-kind assistance through its social assistance mechanisms.

UNHCR’s cooperation with MoFSS ensures the continuum between the registration and protection phases, which come under the purview of the PMM, and the social inclusion phase, which is the responsibility of MoFSS. Inclusion of refugees into national services is essential for UNHCR as this complements the granting of international or temporary protection.

UNHCR works closely with MoFSS, including through advocacy, capacity development and technical supports, for ongoing inclusion in practice and inclusion of refugees into sectoral plans, legislation and policies.

Child Protection

Türkiye is a signatory to the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), including its optional protocols. The national Child Protection Law 5395, which entered into force in 2005, presents a comprehensive legal framework on the protection of all children in Türkiye regardless of their legal status, underlining the principles of non-discrimination, right to participation and consideration of the best interest of the child.   Within the framework of the Law, the State provides care, protection and social services to children, including to refugee children who are subject to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence as well as unaccompanied and separated children.

UNHCR works closely with the governmental counterparts, including the Ministry of Family and Social Services (MoFSS) and the PMM to support identification of children at risk and responses in the best interest of children and for increasing protection capacity of families forced to flee. To this end, UNHCR and its partners conduct best interest procedures with a view to making referrals and supporting relevant government stakeholders for their interventions. UNHCR provides capacity development support to partners involved in child protection concerning refugees, including on best interest procedures. UNHCR works to include the views of children and families as well as young peoples in designing its child protection interventions with a system strengthening approach.

UNHCR, as the co-coordinator of National and sub-national Child Protection Sub working groups in Türkiye as part of the Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan seeks to support the Government of Türkiye in coordinating and complementing child protection responses at the national level through evidence generation, advocacy, standard setting.

Prevention of, risk mitigation of and response to Gender-Based Violence

Gender-based Violence (GBV) is a violation of human rights and a major public health issue. Although GBV is often underreported, it is known to occur in all contexts. Displaced populations, particularly women and girls, face heightened risks of GBV due to systemic gender inequality, discrimination, and unequal power relations. UNHCR is committed to ending all forms of GBV by working to prevent GBV before it happens by addressing its root causes, mitigating the risks across all stages of its programmes, and responding to the needs of all survivors irrespective of their age, gender, or other diversity considerations.

UNHCR prioritizes two key objectives in all its operations to address GBV:

• Reducing the risk of GBV for all persons of concern, particularly women and girls, ensuring survivors of GBV have timely and safe access to quality, survivor-centered services that address both their immediate and long-term needs.

UNHCR operates based on three key program areas: prevention, risk mitigation, and response. Prevention efforts focus on addressing the root causes of GBV, such as gender inequality and unequal power dynamics. Risk mitigation aims to identify and reduce exposure to GBV across all sectors of our operations, ensuring safe access to services. Response ensures survivors receive specialized medical, legal, psychosocial, and financial support.

All survivors of GBV, including survivors of SEA perpetrated by humanitarian workers, have the right to immediate life-saving protection and GBV services.  UNHCR works closely with government counterparts, humanitarian actors, and refugee community members to reduce the risks of GBV and ensure adequate, timely access to quality services that are available for survivors. We do this by strengthening the capacity of counterparts, promoting effective coordination between relevant stakeholders, and through engaging community members and local organizations in GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response. UNHCR strengthens the national systems, promotes gender equality, and supports survivors by providing integrated, multi-sectoral services, including healthcare, psychosocial support, legal assistance, and livelihood opportunities.

UNHCR promotes information provision and awareness raising on prevention and response mechanisms which in return contributes to the identification of survivors and individuals at risk of GBV and facilitates their access to state-provided services. UNHCR achieve this through dedicated efforts on our social media channels, particularly on important days such as those focusing on GBV, rights of women and girls. In addition, we maintain a dedicated information hub within our HELP Page, offering communities accessible and up-to-date guidance on available support services and protection mechanisms.

UNHCR ’s actions also include capacity building for local and international actors and government counterparts on issues related to GBV and mainstreaming UNHCR’s  2020 GBV Policy on the Prevention of, Risk Mitigation of, and Response to GBV across all sectors. The holistic approach is structured by UNHCR’s Policy, which integrates community-based, age, gender, and diversity (AGD)-informed interventions across all contexts.

UNHCR Türkiye dedicated a GBV helpline within its Counseling Line in multiple languages, facilitating access to safe services and resettlement for the most vulnerable. These efforts are part of our broader protection mandate, ensuring that all persons of concern receive comprehensive and meaningful support.

Community Engagement

UNHCR is committed to harnessing the knowledge and resources of communities and strengthening their capacities. UNHCR puts the capacities, agency, rights and dignity of persons of concern at the centre of its programming and strives to partner with persons, families and communities who are in need of international protection.

UNHCR builds on the community’s existing capacities and community members’ sense of volunteerism by investing in trust-building engagement and supporting two-way communication. Established community networks, along with refugee peer-to-peer support groups, committees and refugee-led community-based organizations supported by UNHCR across Türkiye are in a strong position to protect and support their communities and promote social cohesion with host communities.