Support Syrian Refugee Mothers in Turkey

Ala (26) was 9 months pregnant when she went to the hospital for a final checkup, just to make sure all was ok with weeks left to delivery. She found out that her temporary protection ID, which is the status Syrian refugees need in Turkey to access basic services such as healthcare, had been cancelled with code “V87.”

She had been living in the southern city of Mersin and she hadn’t even been near the Syrian border since she crossed it 5 years ago. There must have been a mistake…

When her husband informed STL field teams with regard to the urgency of the matter, our teams quickly realized there must have been an administrative error, since V87 is the code for voluntary returns. Ala explained that they hadn’t been across the border even once; not since they fled the violence 5 years ago.

Turkey is home to nearly 4 million Syrian refugees and with 9 years into the Syrian War, the Turkish government is feeling the financial strain this causes. While a lot is being done to facilitate refugees’ access to basic needs such as healthcare, education and employment, it is increasingly becoming a policy priority to encourage voluntary returns. As the population records of Syrian refugees are still somewhat messy, situations like the one Ala finds herself in are not uncommon. It’s most likely a case of mistaken identity; but in her case, the consequences would have been serious.

Thanks to STL teams’ prompt response and advocacy work, the family received individual protection assistance. Ala could quickly have her temporary protection ID reissued and give birth to a healthy girl at the local hospital.