In the framework of the EU-funded ‘Supporting National Institutions in Turkey to Mitigate the Impact of the Syrian Refugee Crisis’ project organized with the financial support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Directorate General of Migration Management of Turkey, the EU and the Turkish Government, the event entitled ‘Workshop on Temporary Protection’ was held on 21-23 August 2019. The workshop, which was co-organized by UNHCR and the Directorate General of Migration Management of Turkey, was attended by many representatives of NGOs working in the field of migration and research centers.
The first day of the workshop started with the opening speeches of Selami Yazıcı, the Directorate General of Migration Management Representative and Neşe Kılınçoğlu, the UNHCR Representative in Turkey. During their speeches, they informed the attendees on the current situation of refugees in Turkey, the developments regarding the international protection and temporary protection and asylum processes. The workshop continued with NGOs sharing the work they conducted in the relevant fields. A total of 13 organizations held presentations on their activities in the field of temporary protection. Osman Çorumlu, UCLG-MEWA Representative, presented the activities that the UCLG-MEWA Committee on Social Inclusion, one of the six committees of the Organization, has so far conducted on the issue of migration.
On the second and the third days of the workshop, different universities and research centers shared the studies they carried out in the field of migration with the attendees. Furthermore, three panels were conducted under the theme of “Social Protection and Coordination of Provided Assistance,” “Self-Reliance and Access to Livelihood Opportunities,” and “Cooperation Areas with NGOs and Social Cohesion Activities.” The panelists discussed and presented their activities regarding these issues. Interactive discussion among the attendees contributed to the exchange of ideas and experiences. The three-day workshop was concluded with a discussion on the future plans and activities related to the temporary protection.