NGO: Educated, wealthy Syrians seek access to Europe
The chairwoman of a nongovernmental organization that specializes in refugees said Syrians with a high level of education and who are relatively wealthy compared to their expatriates in Turkey composed the majority of refugees illegally traveling to Europe in potentially deadly journeys.
Eda Bekçi, head of the Association of Solidarity With Refugees (Mülteci-Der), a nongovernmental organization based in the western city of İzmir, a popular destination for Syrian refugees, told Anadolu Agency Syrians feeling more culturally and religiously close to Turkey preferred to stay in the country.
Migrants risk their lives aboard overcrowded dinghies to reach islands dotting the Aegean Sea, the main gateway to Europe for those from Syria and Asian countries by sea. They pay large sums to smugglers to arrange a trip that often ends up being intercepted by the Coast Guard or at the bottom of the sea. İzmir, with its proximity to the Greek islands, are among cities favored by migrants who attempt to sneak into the islands.
Bekçi says there are two Syrian migrant profiles in Turkey. "Those in İzmir are generally people who use Turkey as a transit route to Europe. They avoid being registered by authorities," she said. Turkey hosts more than 1.9 million Syrians and only a small fraction of them live in modern refugee camps Turkey set up near its border with Syria. Many others either live in poverty on the streets or rent or buy houses if they have the means. Uncertain about their future in Turkey and the result of conflict in Syria, they choose traveling to European countries as Turkey struggles to cope with the heavy burden of migrants while Europe still deliberates on how many migrants it should take in. Bekçi says other Syrian migrants are here to stay rather than travel to other countries, noting this group of migrants are the ones who arrived in Turkey when the war first broke out in Syria four years ago. "They believe they can't return to Syria anymore and Syria will not be the same even if they are able to return after the war ends," she said. Bekçi says Syrians preferring to stay in Turkey are mostly Kurds and Turkmens who feel culturally close to Turkey, the heir to the Ottoman Empire that once ruled much of present-day Syria. "They are better integrated in Turkey. They live in their own neighborhoods and often work illegally. There are as many as 70,000 Syrians living in İzmir this way. Syrians registered with authorities are those who plan to build their future here," Bekçi said.
Eda Bekçi, head of the Association of Solidarity With Refugees (Mülteci-Der), a nongovernmental organization based in the western city of İzmir, a popular destination for Syrian refugees, told Anadolu Agency Syrians feeling more culturally and religiously close to Turkey preferred to stay in the country.
Migrants risk their lives aboard overcrowded dinghies to reach islands dotting the Aegean Sea, the main gateway to Europe for those from Syria and Asian countries by sea. They pay large sums to smugglers to arrange a trip that often ends up being intercepted by the Coast Guard or at the bottom of the sea. İzmir, with its proximity to the Greek islands, are among cities favored by migrants who attempt to sneak into the islands.
Bekçi says there are two Syrian migrant profiles in Turkey. "Those in İzmir are generally people who use Turkey as a transit route to Europe. They avoid being registered by authorities," she said. Turkey hosts more than 1.9 million Syrians and only a small fraction of them live in modern refugee camps Turkey set up near its border with Syria. Many others either live in poverty on the streets or rent or buy houses if they have the means. Uncertain about their future in Turkey and the result of conflict in Syria, they choose traveling to European countries as Turkey struggles to cope with the heavy burden of migrants while Europe still deliberates on how many migrants it should take in. Bekçi says other Syrian migrants are here to stay rather than travel to other countries, noting this group of migrants are the ones who arrived in Turkey when the war first broke out in Syria four years ago. "They believe they can't return to Syria anymore and Syria will not be the same even if they are able to return after the war ends," she said. Bekçi says Syrians preferring to stay in Turkey are mostly Kurds and Turkmens who feel culturally close to Turkey, the heir to the Ottoman Empire that once ruled much of present-day Syria. "They are better integrated in Turkey. They live in their own neighborhoods and often work illegally. There are as many as 70,000 Syrians living in İzmir this way. Syrians registered with authorities are those who plan to build their future here," Bekçi said.