Hikmet Tunç

 

VAN - As in every crisis period, refugees are at the top of the list that are forgotten during the lockdown period. Amine Faqir, one of the refugees struggling to survive on their own, wants only one thing against the conditions they face: "My only dream is to return to my country when the war is over."

 

The way of millions of people who had to migrate due to the conflict and war conditions in their countries in the last 10 years has passed through Turkey. However, refugees are also exposed to exploitation in Turkey, where they come with the expectation of a "humane life". In the country where the economic crisis deepens and continues, women and children are the leading refugees who have financial problems. Due to the that it is a border province in the region, thousands of people from Afghanistan and Iran sometimes use Van as a transit route, and some live in the city when they do not have the conditions to go to another city.

 

Refugee women and children at every street corner

 

Refugees, who are at the top of the group that suffered the most rights violations, are also seen as cheap labor, faced with labor exploitation. In almost every street and avenue of the city, some try to earn income by selling napkins, others have to beg. Refugee women and children are subjected to physical, psychological, economic, or sexual violence in the workplace they want to work either by the owners of the workplace or by the employees.

 

At the Cabinet Meeting held on April 26 under the chairpersonship of AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan on coronavirus restrictions, a full lockdown decision was made for the period between 29 April and 17 May, and this decision again affects the refugees the most.

 

Sexual violence against refugees

 

The child, who escaped from the war in child’s country with family and settled in the city and was sexually abused when child sold a handkerchief on November 18, 2019, still keeps place in memory.

Z.S., one of the refugee women who came to the city due to the pressure and violence they were subjected to in Iran. In an interview she gave to our agency, she called for solidarity by saying that many refugee women she knew had to commit prostitution due to economic difficulties.

 

Again, in Van, Kurubaş Repatriation Center (GGM) Iranian Z.N. raped by the security guards İ.H.K. and Y.V., and an unidentified person. She was in danger of being repatriated to her country.

 

Many refugee women and children are caught in a spiral of violence, especially economic, as a result of the lack of safe living conditions.

 

We are witnessing the struggle for survival of Amine Faqir, who settled in Van's İpekyolu district three years ago due to the conflictual process in Afghanistan like thousands of people.

 

Sells at the counter she set up

 

Amine plans to pay the kitchen expenses, house rent and bills with the income she will earn from the greenery she offers for sale at the door of the house she lives in, on the sidewalk. Amine has been selling vegetables in the past and trying to keep selling vegetables, which has a single livelihood with full lockdown, does not understand the questions we ask because we do not know each other's languages. Perhaps one of the issues that refugees face the most problems is to settle in a country where they do not speak the language. We turn to the seven-eight years old child next to her and talk with child. In child’s Turkish answer to our questions says that Amine is grandmother of child.

 

‘I have never had this hard time’

 

 We understand Amine's story in Pashto from her grandchild’s translation. "War is very bad," says Amine, according to her grandchild’s translation. "I migrated to Van with my children to survive. There were also days when we spent the night outside. But I have never had such a hard time in any period," she said.

 

With these words, Amine almost summarizes the situation in the country.

 

‘My daughter lost her leg in the war’

 

Saying that she can make a sale of up to 30 TRY a day, Amine has to deduct the rent, bills and kitchen expenses of the house where five people stay, said: "I can't get along. We stay five people at home. My daughter is disabled. She lost her leg because of the war. We are experiencing great difficulties."

 

‘My only dream is to return to my country’

 

During our conversation, Amine shared that she had not yet been able to make the day, "At least I could earn better money than the point of sale I used to be. Now I am having a hard time. My only dream is to return to my country when the war is over. Most of my family still lives there. Who wants to leave her country, her land?"