Turkey: The Coronavirus Emergency and its Impact on Refugees

Abstract

The coronavirus crisis hit Turkey at an already particularly difficult time. Even though rapid policy responses - notably, travel restrictions and a lockdown - kept the number of infections under control, the social impact has been severe, particularly for refugees. Most have lost their jobs and thus their income, whilst having only restricted access to social benefits too. Many no longer even have access to sufficient food, and therefore resort to negative coping strategies. This exacerbates already pre-existing disadvantages, raises concerns over the future of social cohesion, pushes refugees deeper into poverty and also undermines their international protection by the Turkish state. For the European Union’s Facility for Refugees in Turkey, this has resulted in a fundamentally new social context emerging.