On February 6, 2023, two earthquakes killed and injured tens of thousands of people in Turkey and Syria, destroyed villages and towns in ten provinces, and left survivors homeless in the harsh winter. The disaster area is as large as Germany.
We express our deepest condolences to those affected and their families.
The earthquake made no distinction between nationality, social background, language, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, and devastated all life in this region.
“There must be no discrimination based on nationality or passport for those affected by the same disaster,” said Tareq Alaows of Pro Asyl. Non-discrimination and impartiality must be the fundamental principles of humanitarian aid. Many people of Alevi and Kurdish origin live in the affected region. A large number of people from Syria and Afghanistan have sought refuge in the earthquake zone. According to the Directorate for Migration Management, the number of registered refugees in the 10 provinces affected by the earthquake is at least 1.7 million.
However, we are receiving alarming reports from social media and refugee organizations in Turkey: In addition to discriminatory measures in the distribution of aid, hate crimes are being incited. After several social media posts suggesting that refugees should be excluded from search and rescue operations and humanitarian aid, this discriminatory discourse transformed into one about refugees "looting"—the deliberate attempt to create the impression that refugees are looting. In some places, this has escalated into physical violence and torture. Further escalation is imminent.
“Those traumatized once again must not be left alone. Otherwise, they will increasingly become targets of hate crimes in a country that was already mired in a severe economic crisis before the earthquake and where elections are scheduled in three months. It must be ensured that these people and their fates are not once again made pawns in political games,” said lawyer Berenice Böhlo from the board of the RAV (Regional Association of Victims of Torture).
Following the state of emergency declared by President Erdoğan on February 7, 2023, the Directorate of Migration Management only permits refugees to travel to other regions if relatives can meet their basic needs, particularly accommodation, or if they can rent a house for themselves. It was announced that public institutions and organizations, including local governments, are prohibited from providing accommodation assistance to refugees affected by the earthquake outside the earthquake zone, and that non-governmental organizations are also prohibited from providing accommodation assistance.
We hear very little about the situation in Syria. Medico International cites partner organizations on the ground, according to which people are being left to fend for themselves and aid measures are barely reaching them. Instead, aid efforts are being politically exploited by Assad. A large-scale evacuation program under UN control must begin immediately.
We urge the German government to grant earthquake victims swift, unbureaucratic, and generous entry into Germany, regardless of origin or nationality. Refugees and disaster victims currently in Turkey must also receive humanitarian visas. Many of them have relatives in Germany and have been waiting for years for permission to enter, which is all the more urgent in the current situation.
The PM is signed by
Adopt a Revolution
Borderline-Europe
Refugee Council Berlin
Refugee Council Brandenburg
Medico International
Pro Asyl
Republican Lawyers' Association
Association of Iranian Refugees.
