Over 450,000 registered refugees from Syria’s civil war are estimated to be living in Turkey. Hundreds of thousands more have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, in addition to the over 4.25 million internally displaced persons inside Syria. Elizabeth Ferris, senior fellow and co-director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, visited refugee camps in Turkey last week along with Kemal Kirişci. A sample of her thoughts and photographs during this journey appears below. You can follow all of her comments on @Beth_Ferris. She is also co-author of a recent report on the crisis of Syria’s displaced millions.
Home again after intense trip to #Turkey on Syrian displacement. Images of the border & the refugees will stay w/ me. pic.twitter.com/QvZGmPwdlM
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 27, 2013
Official Turkish govt figures: 200,038 #Syrian #refugees in camps, 400K outside of camps = 600,000. So many children pic.twitter.com/2CAqRkJdi4
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 27, 2013
Turkish NGO: #Syrian refugees are losing hope w/ all the radical groups fighting. Not the Syria they want to go back to.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 27, 2013
Syria’s future may rest with these refugee children. At least these are getting an education in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/gOfYkBdySm
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 26, 2013
Great trip but exhausted Brookings-USAK group is getting ready to head back to Ankara from Turkish-Syria border area pic.twitter.com/TX8cU0UHEb
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
At Turkey-#Syria border – Lots of hustle & bustle, but also (is it my imagination?) an ominous feel.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
This Turkey-Syria border crossing is open to trade & reportedly controlled by the FSA pic.twitter.com/UnEPazVYkM
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
(2/2) Today Syrians expressed frustration that students have hard time entering Turkish universities b/c hi schl diplomas aren’t recognize
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
The need for more & better education for #Syrian refugees a constant theme here in Turkey (1/2).
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
Turkish truck driver serving us tea as he waits for 3 days in a 9 km queue to cross into #Syria. pic.twitter.com/mMvZn3m8js
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
We’re amazed at 9 km line of trucks waiting to cross into Syria. Life goes on, driver tells us, people need tomatoes & new cars. We see both
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
@kimseyokmu volunteers serve Syrian refugees in Turkey. Spoke w/women-expressed lots of needs but say the food’s good pic.twitter.com/7lOTmhPL1v
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
Kilis, Turkey: population 60,000 +60,000 Syrian refugees: 1 in 2 residents. Could any US city cope w/that influx in 18 months?
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
We hear that smugglers charge about $12 per Syrian trying to enter Turkey. 3-4 times more to go the other way.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 25, 2013
#Refugee children in Syrian school inside Turkey – perhaps these kids will be #Syria‘s next generation of leaders. pic.twitter.com/frTkF5mwcw
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
(2/2) But civilians also get caught in cross-fire between armed opposition groups. Who’s protecting them?
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
(1/2) I kept asking ‘are 100K #IDPs in N. Syria safe?’ Turkish Govt response was ‘yes – regime wouldn’t dare bomb so close to Turkey.’
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
Many Syrian refugees don’t have access to registration–>if not registered, chances of ed 4 kids is slim indeed. CC @RebeccaWinthrop
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
@JohnWreford Registration has to be speeded up & improved. More services needed for urban refugees. That’s got to be the priority.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
Earlier I saw Syrian refugees wait to register in Gaziantep Turkey. Registration of urban refugees a particular issue pic.twitter.com/6W1eNa3NIZ
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
Turkish govt decreed that all Syrians-registered or not-have access to free health care. But it seems there r real gaps in implementation.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
Surprised to see such nice laundry facilities at the #Syrian refugee camp in Turkey yesterday pic.twitter.com/CvqZQaUbzW
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
200K Syrian refugees living in 21 camps in Turkey. Estimates differ on # living outside camps – somewhere btwn 200 & 500K #refugees
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 24, 2013
@BrookingsIDP @USUN When we ask about needs inside #Syria, everyone quickly responds:’medicine.’ ppl w/chronic diseases -invisible victims
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 23, 2013
Turkey-Syrian border crossing- closed to trade though there are different accounts about whether it’s open to people pic.twitter.com/c02JfKOAaF
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 23, 2013
Talking with Syrians in Gaziantep: so much intrigue & so many conspiracy theories within the opposition, I can’t keep track.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 23, 2013
Turkey launching its 1st law on migration in April – covering everything from asylum to resident permits. Impressed w/human rights focus.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 23, 2013
Estimates are that 160K #Syrian refugees are living in Istanbul — not as visible as in border areas, but a strain on services.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 23, 2013
11 active border crossings from #Syria into Turkey – 8 official, managed by police, and 3 unofficial, run by armed forces
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 22, 2013
Most attention focused on Syrian refugees – but what about the 1 million+ Iraqi and Palestinian refugees who had sought safety in Syria?
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 22, 2013
Where is the indpt human rights monitoring of Turkey-Syrian border? Long border, major issues, but too few reports from rights perspective.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 21, 2013
Big issue in Turkey: refugees living outside of camps. Huge numbers but registration processes only started a few months ago
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 21, 2013
Meeting at an Istanbul café to plan our trip to the Turkey-Syria border. Beautiful setting to discuss grim situation. pic.twitter.com/xsn2CkHwZo
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 21, 2013
In Ankara for meetings, then setting off tonight for Turkey-#Syria border. Nothing like seeing refugee/IDP situations first-hand.
— Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) October 21, 2013
Commentary
Beth Ferris Documents Syrian Refugee Crisis at Camps in Turkey
October 28, 2013