Country: Turkey

Committee: UNHCR
Delegate: Lydia Amaniel
Introduction:
The refugee crisis is one that we simply cannot ignore. In 2015 The International
Organization for Migration estimated that 3,711 people died while trying to cross into Europe
through the Mediterranean Sea. There were over 1 million people in Europe who made irregular
arrivals. Many of these refugees come from Syria, because it is not safe for them to continue
residing in their own homes. Not only are they fleeing from constant war and violence, but
poverty has also proven to be a big problem for many. The Syrian Civil War began March of
2011 and since then 320,000 people have been killed, with around 12,000 of them being
children. According to the New York Times, since 2011 there has been around 12 million
displaced Syrian refugees, with four million displaced abroad. Since December of 2013 there
have been more than three million displaced Iraqi refugees. This is too big of a problem, that too
many countries have been ignoring, in 2014 over 570,000 migrants applied for asylum in Europe
and only 184,665 were granted with it in accordance to BBC News. There is simply no way we
can disregard this issue at hand, we must unite and help those who are struggling and in need. It
is unethical to reject refugees asylum after the grueling, strenuous journey they had to make.
National Actions:
Turkey has helped Syrian refugees more than any other country, with more than 2 million
refugees residing there as of October 2015 according to the UNHCR. Around $5 billion has been
spent to help the refugee crisis, some of that money going into building shelters and camps. The
refugee population is simply too much for Turkey to handle, which is why only 14% live in 22 of
our refugee camps. Almost 55% of all refugees in Turkey are under the age of 18, in accordance
to UNHCR data. Due to this overpopulation, Turkey has decided to close its borders. This
decision has been criticized greatly by the EU. The amount of people migrating to Turkey was
much larger than expected, and money that was provided by the UN was quickly drained. Many
refugees are living in tents and abandoned buildings without running water, or electricity. The
conditions many are forced to live in are far below standard, Turkey does not have the
infrastructure to handle the refugees residing there now, let alone accept more. Many Syrians did
not expect to stay in Turkey for very long, but with the condition their own country is in they are
left with little to no other options. Many try fleeing to Europe, but the risk is very much there,
making that a difficult journey for women and children.
Therefore, Turkey is trying to integrate Syrians into their lifestyle, by allowing them
work permits, in hopes of lowering the amount of refugees who are working illegally. The
language barrier is evident and seems like itll become an issue, not only when applying for jobs,

but also for schools. According to the Ministry of Education, Turkey will register Syrian children
in Turkish schools, many of which have very little to no education. As of July 2015 only 130,000
out of around 600,000 Syrian children were enrolled in school, this issue is a problem for a
plethora of reasons. The first one being, this could become the start of a lost generation, a
generation that is uneducated, they wouldnt be able to contribute to society or get jobs, without
any type of schooling involved in their lives. The second being, there is a chance that they will
join radicals or terrorists groups, and contribute to society negatively. Many refugees are very
smart and with proper schooling will be able to overcome the struggles theyve faced and use
them to educate the next generations.
International Actions:
The UN has acknowledged the amount of strain that is put on Turkey involving the
refugee crisis. Which is why in 2015 the UNHCR offered support to Turkey by helping establish
a reception system that is rights based, along with a new asylum institution. The UNHCR also
will continue supporting Turkish authorities by protecting core areas, and addressing the basic
needs. Another area that is being focused on is the process for asylum-seekers, that will be
strengthened in order to identify those who are most vulnerable. A new asylum system will be
developed by Turkish authorities and the UNHCR, where special attention will also be paid to
refugee children and making sure they are able to get an education.
Recommendations:
Many refugees do not want to stay in Turkey, because of the awful living conditions, and
many feel as if they have no future in Turkey. This is not how we want refugees to feel, which is
why we would like more funding. In order to build a safe, and more sufferable environment,
more camps will need to be built, and more food and water will need to be provided. Our goal is
to help the EU, by ensuring refugees stay in Turkey, which will not happen if refugees feel as if
they are constantly suffering. We also want to help integrate refugees into Turkish culture, so
they feel as comfortable as possible in their temporary home. We can do this by diminishing the
language barrier, and teaching refugees who live in camps and shelters. After the financial aid
granted by the EU, the main issue Turkey is having, is deciding on how the money should be
spent. What needs to be prioritized, and what should issue should be focused on. We want to
keep helping refugees, and ensure their safety, which is not a cheap thing to do. The EU donation
is greatly appreciated, but Turkey is going to need to keep on receiving financial aid, because as
of right now it is unsure when this refugee crisis will end.

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