Turkey currently faces an extremely tenuous socio-economic situation: While on one hand, the nation is struggling with the economic fallout of the Covid-19 lockdowns, the nation now also must manage a new wave of mass Afghan migration to Turkey through the Iranian border ever since NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s consequential rise to power.
This new wave of Afghan migration was at first subject to a significant level of fearmongering, with various media outlets and even certain political figures using terms such as “demographic invasion”. This fearmongering has inevitably led to increasing social tension.
Various NGOs and sociologists, who emphasize International Refugee Law in their work, have stated that hate speech and discrimination will only pave the way for more intense social conflicts.
As long as anti-refugee speech and discrimination continues at it’s current rate, the events in Altındağ in Ankara may only be a sample of the animocities and atrocities to come.
Evidently, social conflict happens to the benefit of no one. The current citation with anti-refugee sentiments, if left unchecked, pose an existential threat to the very pillars of diversity and multiculturalism that shall define our world in the age of globalization to come.
A fundamental fact that must be known amongst the masses is that “immigration” and “asylum” are a right for those fleeing war and persecution.
In our country where 4 million refugees have found asylum, the potentiality of an Afghan influx must be considered and a roadmap must be created in preparation for such a circumstance. This roadmap must also abide by the International Human Rights Law and International Refugee Law
In the discussions regarding the status of refugees, it is imperative that hate speech and discrimination is avoided.
On behalf of the Research Center on Asylum and Migration (IGAM), we would like to emphasize once again that we are deeply saddened and concerned about the recent events in Altındağ.
Respectfully announced to the public.
Research Center on Asylum and Migration (IGAM)
