The Syrian-Turkish Joint Committee for the Follow-up on the Affairs of Syrian Refugees in Turkey held a technical meeting to discuss the implementation of the latest decisions on the settling of the status of Syrian nationals living in Istanbul.
Participants in the meeting included Coordinator of the Syrian National Coalition’s Office of Refugees Amal Sheikhou, member of the Coalition Yusuf Mahalli, and Istanbul Provincial Director of Migration Recep Batu. The two sides agreed to continue with the repletion of requests via the Syrian-Turkish Joint Committee.
The settlement decisions will apply to business owners and entrepreneurs who held work permits for three months or more, university students, humanitarian cases such as orphans and widows, and to the households with children registered in schools.
Batu said that these cases will be dealt in order of priority, adding that the Directorate of Immigration have already begun with the settling of the status of school students.
Speaking about the immense pressure on the branch of the Directorate of Immigration in the Sultanbeyli district of Istanbul, Batu indicated that they have completed preparations for the opening of two new branches in the districts of Esenyurt and Esenler. The new branches will remain open until 11 pm, including on holidays to receive requests for the settlement of status.
Batu also said that 15,000 Syrian nationals have so far been registered in the provinces where registration of new refugees is possible. He stressed the need for cooperation with all relevant bodies to cope with the large number of requests, called for raising the level of coordination to resolve all the problems being faced by the Syrian nationals in Turkey.
Both sides also stressed the need for the reception of all emergency cases in Istanbul hospitals and the continued offering of treatment for the patients who are not registered yet. (Source: Syrian National Coalition’s Media Department)
