Today 40 million people try to survive in various places of the world since they flee from their original land for violence, cruelty. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) statistics shows that regarding 2006 there is a 14 % increase in number of refugees in 2007. Actually numbers of refugees have showed downside potential between 1995 and 2006. On one hand Turkey has a transition country position for people, who come from east-south, want to move to west-north. On the other hand, Turkey has a destination country position particularly for an east Europe migration movement. Turkey, which has signed 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees with a geographical restriction, still does not have a refugee law. This situation causes important problems for refugees, who regard Turkey as a transition country and want to asylum to Turkey.
In our time right of asylum, which is identified as a basic human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is the most violated right by states. Moreover, right of asylum is ignored day by day. States’ approach, which ignores basic rights of refugees, is getting stronger. On the other hand; xenophobia, which is increasing among societies in all the over world, violates basic rights of refugees.
Certainly women refugees, who have the worst conditions under violence, war and poverty. According to UNHCR’s records women refugees have 50.8 % in overall refugee population of the world. Women refugees, who are responsible not only for themselves but also for their under 18 years old children, face problems during travel period. Such situation brings responsibility, for all states and mankind, about necessity of developing extra protective mechanisms for women and children refugees.
As human rights defenders, once again we would like to remind the following issues to all states in the world;
Right of asylum is a basic right related physical and mental unity of personal. Right of asylum should be evaluated within framework of basic rights system. International protection and states’ protection regimes should be based on a mentality that argues human rights should be protected for everyone, under any conditions, in all over the world.
Turkey should pass Asylum Law, which should comply with universal human rights norms, without delay. Turkey has started the preparation of Asylum Law within an approach that supports involvement of non-governmental organizations into preparation period. Moreover, we underline that Reception Centres, whose preparation started, should be opened for civil examination regarding with their complying of human rights standards. Lastly, we would like to remind that Turkey should accelerate ratification process of “Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture” in Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM).
HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION