Via Delegation of the European Union to Turkey– A project aiming to support the Turkish authorities in the management of migration, funded by the European Union and Turkey jointly, is having its kick start today. The project brings together the Directorate General for Migration Management (DGMM) and IOM so as to address various challenges faced in ensuring the orderly and humane management of migration. The kick-off event will be attended by the General Director of DGMM, Mr. Abdullah Ayaz, the Chief of Mission of IOM in Turkey, Mr Vladimer Gvilava, and the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, Minister Gabriel Munuera Vinals, as well as other representatives and stakeholders, including experts from European countries and international organisations.
The €5.5 million project aims to support the institutional and legal reform of migration management in Turkey, which has started with the adoption of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection in 2013 – the centrepiece of this reform process. The project has been designed to provide comprehensive capacity building support to DGMM and other institutions involved in migration management in Turkey.
For the next three years IOM and DGMM will work together on the coherent implementation of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection throughout Turkey, including review and preparation of secondary legislation as well as development of work processes and referral mechanisms. The project partners will address issues linked to the integration of migrants into society and work on boosting regional cooperation with countries along the same migration route, including the implementation of readmission agreements. The project will also develop and deliver training programmes for DGMM staff headquarters, provinces and out of the country, labour inspectors, deputy governors, lawyers.
On the occasion, the Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Christian Berger said: “As a major first reception and transit country for migrants and given its geographic position, Turkey is a main partner of the EU in the management of migratory flows. The EU will continue to engage with Turkey to jointly meet these challenges. In this context, the EU stands ready to increase cooperation with Turkey, including in the area of border management and in the fight against smuggling and trafficking in human beings”.
This article was originally published by the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey