The project ‘Increasing awareness and facilitating access to information and legal aid for persons in the context of migration in Türkiye’ co-funded by Council of Europe and European Union was officially implemented from November 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025. The primary objective of this project was to enhance access to legal aid for migrant and refugee children in Türkiye, by strengthening the capacity of legal professionals, law students, and intern lawyers through training programs, awareness-raising sessions, legal aid services to promote a child-friendly legal approach in migration contexts in Türkiye. On 21 May 2025, a certificate ceremony was held at the Council of Europe Ankara Programme Office, where certificates were presented to participants and trainers involved in the project by William Massolin, Head of the Council of Europe Ankara Programme Office, and Metin Çorabatır, President of İGAM.
To ensure the sustainability of its outcomes, the project also produced a practical toolkit, compiling the training content, legal frameworks, and child-sensitive strategies discussed throughout the program. To be widely disseminated to bar associations, civil society organizations, and online platforms, the toolkit serves as an ongoing resource for legal professionals working with refugee children after being approved and published.
Key Achievements
Throughout the implementation period, the project successfully:
- Trained 55 law students and trainee lawyers on child-friendly legal procedures, equipping them with the necessary skills to handle cases involving migrant children.
- Expanded registration to 63 applicants due to high interest; 37 participants completed the program and received certificates of completion, exceeding the initial target of 30 participants.
- Delivered training through 15 thematic modules covering national and international legal frameworks with a focus on child-centered approaches.
- Scheduled training sessions in collaboration with bar associations, NGOs, and government institutions, fostering a more coordinated approach to addressing the legal challenges faced by migrant children.
- Provided hands-on consultancy and mentorship, where trainers and legal experts assisted students with real-life cases, offering direct guidance and practical experience.
- Conducted pre- and post-training assessments, demonstrating significant improvement in participants’ knowledge and skills.
- Conducted two rounds of participant feedback, one mid-program and one at the end.
