The State of International Migrant Children in Turkey: The Case of Van

Year 2014, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 349 - 372, 30.12.2014

Abdurrahman Yılmaz

Abstract

Turkey, due to its geographical position, is on the route of many types of migration and also shelters numbers of different migrants. These numerous migrants also include large numbers of children. The aim of this research was to examine the status of migrant children in Turkey, taking as an example the province of Van, located in eastern Turkey bordering Iran. Migrant children in Turkey are classified into two main groups, those living in satellite towns together with their family (usually of younger ages) and those (mostly at 14-17 years old) who are protected under the Social Services and Child Protection Agency because they have migrated without any companion. The findings reveal that most of the migrant children are from Afghanistan and the main reason for their flight was the security problems in Afghanistan and the worsening economic condition in Iran where they could not obtain either a residence or an education permit. Both those children coming with their families and those unaccompanied take the first help on applying for asylum and sheltering from the previous migrants. Applying to the UNHCR or to another Non-Governmental Organization not only serves as a starting point of the asylum procedure but also these applications in this respect serve to guarantee their presence and safety in this country.

Keywords

Migration, Child Migrants, Unaccompanied Minors, Turkey, Van

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