Refugees Voice Their Thoughts

First issue of the "Refugee Voices", a newsletter by Helsinki Citizens' Assembly (hCa) Turkey has been published.

Prepared as a part of the institution's refugee advocacy and support programme, the newsletter aims at raising awareness about the situation of refugees living in Turkey.

The newsletter includes photographs and articles from refugees in Turkey, and is available in English and Turkish.

It is designed as a tool for enabling the refugees to share their stories and personal reflections, and to make their voices heard. In the first issue of the newsletter, there are contributions of refugees from Iran, Somali and Iraq.

Esmael, 20, express her experience as follows:

"I am from Somalia. I have been here as a refugee in Turkey for over one year. Being a refugee is a very hard life. It is embarrassing and living this life, it is easy to lose your dignity. As a refugee, I feel like I only live a 'half-life'. Refugees in Turkey do not have the same rights as Turkish citizens. We cannot work. Refugees constantly feel like misafirs here. I always feel like a foreigner here. I don't feel like a tourist, though, I feel exiled. I feel like I have no identity".

The newsletter will be distributed to civil society organizations and initiatives working with refugees, as well as relevant public/administrative bodies. It can be downloaded from this link in PDF format.(EÜ)