Legal Solutions to the Refugee and Migrant Crisis

#UIAMigration

The volume of refugees and other migrants transiting through countries to reach their final destination is unprecedented worldwide by any standard. Refugees and migrants are extremely vulnerable to abuse and there has been an unprecedented level of crime in transitory countries, committed by a variety of local and international criminal organisations involved in human trafficking, human smuggling and forced organ donation. In addition, both local citizens and refugees as well as migrants are guilty of a variety of crimes including rape, assault, theft, intimdation, violence and other forms of abuse. Governments, NGO’s, International Organisations and lawyers are struggling to find solutions that are compliant with local and international laws and human rights conventions. A new legal framework to address these unprecedented juridical challenges is required. Turkey provides an excellent legal, sociocultural and political example of the legal difficulties that the refugee and migrant crisis places on a country.

Turkey comprises the northern Mesopotamia and the narrow stretch to Europe, which forms a geographically attractive migration channel to Europe for Syrian refugees and other migrants fleeing persecution. The extensive watershed of migration and refugee movement through Turkey has created enormous challenges for the Turkish government and people.  The UIA has chosen to host a seminar in Samsun, Turkey to learn about the challenges of transit countries and migrants in transit in order to identify constructive migration and refugee legal and human rights protections in transit countries, with the help of various legal and other experts.

Hosting the seminar on refugee protection and migrant human rights issues in the fabulous city of Samsun is not a coincidence, the city is very important for the Turkish nation. Samsun is situated in the northern part of Anatolia, along the coast of the Black Sea, with a population over half a million people. The Black Sea Coast, including Samsun, is a distinctive and important tourism destination of cultural heritage in Anatolia. The Black Sea Region, from the time of Amazons up to the Ottoman period, provides a fascinating historical study for tourists.  Recently, and of important note:  Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the state of Anatolia, launched the Turkish War of Liberation against allies from Samsun on May 19, 1919.