Global Detention Project and International Refugee Rights Association prepared a joint report related to immigration detention. The reporting departement team of IRRA undertook interview with four lawyers lives in Istanbul to understand the issues of migrants in detention centers. According to report “As Türkiye’s immigration detention capacity grows, there is a notable divide between those detention centres that provide adequate living conditions and those that do not meet EU regulation standards. Lawyers representing clients in detention centres report numerous concerning situations at some centres, including the fact that some detainees have to share a small room with several people and some are denied acccess to outside space. The Migration Management appears to downplay these concerns, stating: “Immigration Detention Centers in Türkiye are constantly audited by the Turkish Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, Provincial and District Human Rights Boards, civil inspectors, and the Directorate General of Migration Management, as well as the European Committee for Prevention of Torture (CPT). Besides, in addition to basic rights and services, many social and cultural activities are carried out by psychologists and social worker personnels.”
The report also underlines that the detainees also face considerable obstacles in accessing legal assistance. Detention centres and immigration authorities do not provide detainees with a lawyer or translator and detainees lack knowledge about available legal aid. Authorities in the detention centres say that detainees have access to telephones in the visiting rooms where there is a list of translators; however lawyers claim that the telephones often do not work and translators are never provided. Usually, lawyers hire translators themselves which can be very expensive. If the detainee does not speak Turkish, the notary public requires a translator to be present when they conclude the process of warrant of attorney, which again incurrs considerable costs. Although some lawers have complained about these problems to the Turkish Bar Association and the Instanbul Bar Association, they do not appear to have been resolved.
