Discrimination in the tent city: Are you Syrian? 

2023-03-13 14:34:08


	 

	MEREŞ - Syrian families stated that they were threatened with being expelled from the tent city set up in the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Nation's Garden, and were subjected to ill-treatment by the police and other officials.

	 

	Refugees staying in tent cities established in the Elbistan district of Maraş face discrimination. Syrian refugees who previously stayed in Cumhuriyet Mahallesi but were asked to vacate their tents on the pretext of "there is a complaint against you" are now being discriminated against in the tent city set up in the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Nation's Garden. We visited the Nation's Garden, which is far from the district center and difficult to access, many times on different days and hours, and observed the discrimination against refugee earthquake victims.

	 

	ARE YOU SYRIAN?

	 

	There are more than a thousand tents in the tent city. At least 4 people stay in each tent. In such a crowded tent city, there are two male and two female toilets consisting of 5 cabins. The number of bathrooms is limited. The anger arising from these limited opportunities is directed towards refugees.

	 

	So much so that the children who want to buy candy from the stands set up for children, first of all, "Are you Syrian? “He is asked and treated according to the response received.

	 

	A Syrian family said: "No precautions were taken around the tent city. In the tent city, there are many women who have been subjected to violence by men and have been suspended; however, these decisions are valid only on paper. We are discriminated against. When we went to buy food for our families, they were not given food for 3 or 5 people, while non-Syrian earthquake survivors were given meals for 3 or 5 people. My child goes and asks for bread, he gives only one and is exposed to insults."