Turkey - Millions of migrants and refugees have passed through or settled in Turkey in recent years, with over one million making the sea journey to Greece since 2015.

The UN Migration Agency (IOM) has enhanced its partnership with Turkish authorities through two new projects funded by the European Union and the Turkish Government, to the amount of EUR 8.5 million. The two projects will increase coordination along Turkey’s European borders and strengthen national policies and frameworks relating to migrants and refugees in Turkey.

“Our 25-year partnership with the Turkish Government has become even more critical as migration takes centre stage in global discussions,” said Lado Gvilava, IOM Turkey Chief of Mission. “Nearly 3.8 million migrants and refugees reside in Turkey, the vast majority – nearly three million – being Syrians under temporary protection,” he added.

One project – Supporting Turkey’s Efforts to Manage Migration – worth EUR 5.5 million – aims to help the Turkish Government better manage migration. The project will reinforce migration management capacity, strengthen government institutions and help regional governments to work together to understand migratory patterns and challenges. 

The other, a EUR 3 million border management project, Regional Cooperation on Border Management with Greece and Bulgaria, Phase 2, continues cooperation with Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece to enhance joint actions, strengthen legal and regulatory frameworks, and help tackle irregular migration and cross-border crime.

For further information, please contact Abby Dwommoh, at IOM Ankara, Tel: +90 312 454 3048, Email: MediaIOMTurkey@iom.int