Berlin/Osnabrück, July 5, 2024 – Since last Sunday, violent attacks, particularly against Syrian refugees in Turkey, have been increasing. While shops are being destroyed and windows smashed, asylum seekers are living in fear.
In the city of Kayseri, where migrants make up roughly 5 percent of the population, a video allegedly showing the rape of a girl by a Syrian man circulated on social media last Sunday. The video sparked widespread outrage and led to violent groups of Turkish residents vandalizing or setting fire to shops, homes, cars, and motorcycles belonging to Syrian citizens, either actually or allegedly. Hundreds of shops and businesses were destroyed, leaving many refugees without their main source of income and unable to feed their families. Facilities providing medical care, affordable food, and counseling to asylum seekers also fell victim to the vandalism, further exacerbating the situation for refugee families.
"The children no longer dare to leave the house."
“We fear that the violence against refugees in Turkey will escalate further,” explains Joshua Hofert, spokesperson for the board of terre des hommes . “Massive riots have also occurred in other provinces. International media are already reporting at least seven deaths nationwide. Just yesterday, personal documents of around three million Syrians registered in Turkey were apparently made public via a Telegram channel. This incident, which has not yet been officially confirmed, would constitute a massive violation of privacy and make these individuals targets for further attacks.”.
The deliberately instigated hatred is exacerbating the fears of asylum seekers. "There is now great concern among refugees in Turkey. Our partner organizations on the ground report that parents are avoiding public places like parks where their children have previously played with children of other nationalities. The children no longer dare to leave the house," says Hofert. "The riots in Turkey demonstrate once again that anti-immigrant rhetoric erupts into violence. Based on isolated incidents, entire groups are being persecuted, with horrific consequences for children and their families. This makes it clear that asylum seekers are by no means safe in Turkey. The classification of Turkey as a so-called 'safe third country' under the EU-Turkey deal is completely unfounded and endangers children and their families fleeing persecution."