Another Type of Asylum Seekers
Ilkhom Khalimzoda, Freelance researcher, Integration.lv 2017 12 01
Europe is
facing mass movement of asylum seekers from various countries. This has been
referred to as ‘refugee crises’ and commonly explained as a consequence of wars
around the Globe. Majority of asylum
seekers in Europe are indeed running from war, terrorism, poverty, governmental
oppression or in individual cases, from persecution, compulsory military
service, social exclusion, and discrimination. Latvia has seen asylum seekers
from many corners of the world including Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine,
Russian Federation, and Syria as well as many other countries. This short essay
aims to put light on asylum seekers from an EU candidate country which is also
a member of the Council of Europe.
Who are
these people?
There is a
new type of asylum seekers who are neither Syrian, Eritrean nor come from any
other conventionally perceived countries of migrant departure. Since 2014, the
number of Turkish asylum seekers in EU, and also in other countries, is fast growing.
[1] [2] These individuals are running from mass arrest warrants that had been
launched against them. Some of them have been subjected to detention or wanted
by the current authorities. These people come from the best educated, experienced, and hardworking
layers of the Turkish population which had generated since 1960’s, and
primarily are journalists, military officials, civil servants, school teachers,
entrepreneurs, academics and many other professionals. [3]
Why are
they seeking asylum?
Due to the
rise of criticism against the Turkish authorities, Turkish state has been
transferred to defense mode to protect the elites who have been involved in
mass corruption scandals. This policy
has resulted in mass dismissals, arrests, persecutions, and shutting down
of thousands of schools, hundreds of
media outlets, and many universities as
well as holdings, banks and businesses
that belonge to the critics of the current ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP). According to the Amnesty International report of 2017, 55,000 people
have been arrested, more than 100,000 public sector workers annihilated, and
many were subject to rape and torture in jails. [4][5] Due to this ongoing mass
crackdown, citizens who had been directly affected by the above mentioned
incidents are trying to flee and seek asylum abroad. However, not all of them
were able to flee the country as their passports had been cancelled or they
face travel restrictions. Despite this fact many still try to flee the country
illegally or by the help of state officials for large sums paid in cash. [6][7]
Where are
they asking for asylum?
So far
around thirty Turkish citizens have applied for asylum in the Baltic States,
more than four hundred in Sweden, more than five hundred in Germany, more than
one thousand in Japan, and many in other countries. [8][9][10] [11] [12]
Specifics
of this group of asylum seekers
In most
cases, they are highly educated and skilled professionals in their home
society. Many of them have the experience of living aboard, and are familiar
with European societies and cultures in one way or another. Within this group
of asylum seekers, one can observe small but crucial differences. While
majority of them have already been travelling and had lived abroad there is also
a minority among who don’t have much or any earlier travel and living abroad
experience which possibly resulted from confidence of living in their comfort
zone back in their country and deficiency of cross-cultural interactions. From
the point of acculturation, it is a disadvantage when asylum seekers are
waiting to go back when the situation improves in their home country and
therefore do not concentrate on learning the local language, lack motivation,
and miss interaction with the host society members which impedes the
integration process.
However,
the majority of those with travel and living abroad experience have been noted
as productive type of immigrants in their host society, and usually they speak
more languages than their compatriots.
These asylum seekers are strongly motivated to start a new life, help
other asylum seekers, and are committed to integrate into their new society.
Many of them have already managed to find a place to work or are running their
own businesses in their host societies and thus create more workplaces. [13]
[14]
Conclusion
There are
always two sides to a coin. As
communication specialist say, we need at least two sides to make the truth. We
have heard a lot speculation and negativity against asylum seekers and
immigrants in general. This article is an attempt to raise awareness about
number of different aspects concerning the identity of the asylum seekers and
the circumstances under which they seek asylum here. Such stories are perhaps a
window through which understanding may arrive.
References
[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/05/turkish-asylum-applications-soar-in-germany/
[2] http://play24.lv/video/9517/globuss-gads-pec-turcijas-puca-kas-mainijies
[3] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36855846
[4] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/05/turkey-professional-annihilation-of-100000-public-sector-workers-in-post-coup-attempt-purge/
[5] https://turkeypurge.com
[6] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-education-idUSKCN1152DN
[7] http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/07/531912798/turkey-detains-chair-of-amnesty-international-turkey
[8] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3721483/Sweden-wont-return-people-linked-failed-Turkey-coup.html
[9] https://news.am/eng/news/349100.html
[10] http://www.asylumist.com/2016/08/10/asylum-for-fethullah-gulen-movement-supporters/
[11] https://turkeypurge.com/former-uetd-official-spies-on-gulen-followers-in-germany
[12] http://kuow.org/post/fearing-arrest-home-turkish-military-officers-seek-asylum-us
[13] http://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/fethullah-gulen/
[14] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/graham-e-fuller/gulen-movement-not-cult_b_11116858.html
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