BASELINE ASSESSMENT IN İSTANBUL PROVINCE Analysis Report May-July 2019 The opinions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the IOM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. The maps are for illustration purposes only. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on these maps do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the International Organization for Migration. For further information, please contact: MPM Turkey Email: [email protected], Website: migration.iom.int/ europe Publisher: International Organization for Migration, Birlik Mahallesi Şehit Kurbani Akboğa Sokak, Çankaya/Ankara, Tel.: +90 (312) 454 30 00, Fax: +90 (312) 496 14 95, Email: [email protected], Website: https://turkey.iom.int/ Cover photo: Syrians in İstanbul, Turkey (© shutterstock 2017) © IOM 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. 4,781 interviews were conducted between 24 May and 19 July 2019. MIGRANTS’ PRESENCE MONITORING IN ISTANBUL PROVINCE BASELINE ASSESSMENT ROUND II MAY- JULY 2019 CONTENT List of Abbreviations Introduction • REGION 1 • REGION 7 Arnavutköy Adalar Başakşehir Ataşehir Key Findings Çatalca Kadıköy Silivri Üsküdar Background • REGION2 • REGION 8 Beylikdüzü Beykoz Büyükçekmece Çekmeköy Esenyurt Sarıyer Methodology Şile • REGION 3 Avcılar • REGION 9 Bahçelievler Sancaktepe Coverage Bakırköy Sultanbeyli Küçükçekmece Ümraniye • REGION 4 • REGION 10 İstanbul Province Eyüpsultan Bağcılar Gaziosmanpaşa Esenler Sultangazi Güngören DTM and MPM in Turkey • REGION 5 • REGION 11 Beşiktaş Bayrampaşa Beyoğlu Zeytinburnu Kağıthane Key Definitions • REGION 12 Şişli Fatih • REGION 6 Kartal Maltepe Pendik Tuzla BASELINE 2 MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER BASELINE 1 1 MIGRANTS’ PRESENCE MONITORING IN ISTANBUL PROVINCE BASELINE ASSESSMENT ROUND II MAY- JULY 2019 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CSO Civil Society Organizations DGMM Directorate General of Migration Management DTM Displacement Tracking Matrix EU European Union GoT Government of the Republic of Turkey IOM International Organization for Migration IP International Protection KII Key Informant Interview LFIP Law on Foreigners and International Protection MPM Migrants’ Presence Monitoring Programme SASF1 Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation SSC2 Social Service Centres STASA South Turkestan Assistance and Solidarity Association TCG Turkish Coast Guard TP Temporary Protection TÜİK Turkish Statistical Institute 1. Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundations (SASF) are organizations established under the administration of the governorships. SASFs aim to assist people in need, including asylum-seekers and refugees, and provide them with cash assistance, non-food items and assistance for education. There are 40 SASFs operating in İstanbul. 2. Social Service Centres (SSC) are organizations that operate under the Provincial Directorates of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services. SSCs are responsible for identifying people in need and providing them with protective, preventive and supportive services. There are 17 SSCs operating in İstanbul. 2 MIGRANTS’ PRESENCE MONITORING IN ISTANBUL PROVINCE BASELINE ASSESSMENT ROUND II MAY- JULY 2019 INTRODUCTION At present, Turkey hosts more than 4 million foreign team gathers official data on migrant presence, at nationals in its territory. The country’s central provincial and sub-provincial level, in coordination geopolitical location on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea with the DGMM. Baseline 2 focuses on collecting data Route, and its proximity to countries suffering internal on migrant presence directly from the field. During crises (e.g., Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan) has this phase, the MPM team gathers data through Key placed Turkey under sustained migratory pressure. Informant1 Interview (KII) methodology, where Key To gain valuable insight into their presence, flows, Informants include both mukhtars2 and other local locations, intentions and vulnerabilities of refugees authorities in mahalles (urban) and villages (rural). and migrants living in Turkey, the International Similarly, Baseline 2 data collection also focuses on Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Migrant Presence migrant presence, but it does so at mahalle and village Monitoring Programme (MPM), part of the global levels. The results of both phases are then compared to Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), conducted identify differences which the MPM team then analyses an MPM Baseline Assessment. This Baseline tracks for further insights. For example, the Baseline provides migrant presence in Turkey and creates a database valuable insight on tracking changes in migrant mobility that enables the Government of Turkey (GoT), and identifying migrant figured per category, including humanitarian aid organizations and other migration- estimated numbers of irregular migrants. related stakeholders to understand and address the IOM’s MPM Programme, including this Baseline, is scale and complexity of the current migration flows coordinated jointly with the Directorate General to, through and within Turkey as well as the profile of of Migration Management (DGMM), the lead refugees and migrants present in the country. national agency charged with managing migration The current round of the Baseline Assessment took issues in Turkey. The methodology and operational place in İstanbul between May and July 2019, with the implementation of the MPM Programme activities engagement of 12 team leaders and 24 enumerators. are based on IOM’s DTM model which seeks to In line with the established methodology, the data improve the information management capacity and collection for Baseline Assessment consists of two aims to ensure that information and data on migrant/ phases: Baseline 1 and Baseline 2. Baseline 1 is the refugee presence are collected and corroborated in initial phase of the Baseline, during which the MPM accordance with the applicable procedures.3 1. In order to be considered a ‘key informant,’ it is essential that the respondent has good knowledge and awareness of the migrants’ population in his/her area (province, sub-province or mahalle/village 2. Mukhtars are, in the Turkish administrative system, responsible for administering the smallest administrative units which are mahalles/villages. 3. Turkey Migrants’ Presence Monitoring Situation Report, July 2019, IOM 3 MIGRANTS’ PRESENCE MONITORING IN ISTANBUL PROVINCE BASELINE ASSESSMENT ROUND II MAY- JULY 2019 KEY FINDINGS Across the 39 sub-provinces of İstanbul covered by this study, Baseline 2 data suggested a presence of 1,660,395 migrants, while Baseline 1 data pointed to a total of 1,020,358. The findings below discuss the reasons for the discrepancy of 640,037 individuals found between the two datasets at the province level. • This round of Baseline 2 found that Syrian, Afghan, Uzbek, Turkmen and Pakistani foreign nationals constitute the largest—“top five,” nationality groups in İstanbul province. • Compared to the December 2018 Baseline 2 findings, there are now 249,760 more migrants in İstanbul. Reportedly, according to key informants and field observations, the most dramatic increase was among Uzbek and Pakistani nationals; nevertheless, the increase has been recorded across all nationalities. • Baseline 2 findings suggest the presence of 127,163 Afghans in İstanbul province, as the mass arrival of Afghans, which started in 2018, continues. As such, Afghan presence has increased in all sub-provinces of İstanbul. • There is also a considerable rise in the number of Pakistani foreign nationals. Often, Pakistani migrants in İstanbul are young males who enter the country as irregular migrants. • Due to a considerable increase in their numbers, Uzbek foreign nationals now constitute the third largest migrant group in İstanbul. Visa exemption in Turkey facilitates their entry into the country. However, another reason for the increase is the recent lifting of the Uzbek national travel restrictions on women aged 18–35 years. As such, there has been a significant increase in the number of Uzbek women coming to Turkey. Nevertheless, the majority of Uzbek foreign nationals coming to Turkey are still young males between 20 and 30 y.o.. • Baseline 2 findings suggest that 963,536 Syrians are present in İstanbul province, while Baseline 1 recorded a total of 601,320. Mukhtars, SASFs and SSCs noted that Syrians registered in other provinces (e.g. Gaziantep, Hatay, Şanlıurfa, Mardin and Tekirdağ) continue to come to İstanbul province. • According to interviews with key informants, the number of job opportunities continues to be the main reason attracting