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Fear Among Syrian Refugees Over Turkey ‘Voluntary Return’ Plan
Image copyright: Arab Center Washington DC
The Facts
Syrians living in Turkey have expressed concern about Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's plan to repatriate 1M Syrian refugees to northern Syria.
In May, Erdoğan announced that the Turkish govt. was working to return Syrian refugees to the areas under Turkish control in northern Syria. The proposal includes building 250K housing units and equipping them with infrastructure that will extend between the cities of Azaz, Jarablus, al-Bab, and to Tal Abyad, and Ain Issa.
The Spin
Narrative A
Turkey is the country hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees and is bearing the brunt of the Syrian refugee crisis. Economic issues in Turkey are dire and financing refugees within the country is straining Ankara's resources. It is not Turkey's responsibility to care for these refugees indefinitely. If their safety is negotiated, and housing and infrastructure are being built for them, why wouldn't displaced Syrians want to return home?
Narrative B
Refugees aren't to blame for Turkey's economic issues, but instead are being used as a scapegoat by politicians campaigning for the 2023 elections. Anti-immigrant sentiments, rising tensions, and anti-refugee policies have been rampant in Turkey in recent years, and Erdoğan's recent repatriation proposals are a continuation of this. Many Syrian refugees have been in Turkey for at least 10 years, and have become established members of their communities. Why should they have to leave safety for a war zone?