The Guardian today highlighted the outrageous situation of Syrian refugees in Turkey, who had been approved for resettlement to the United States, but were denied exit visas at the last minute. More than 1,000 refugees have been affected by this policy; many of them confirmed they had at least one family member with a degree.
According to The Guardian, Turkish officials claimed that “the most vulnerable need to be helped before others,” but the families interviewed for the article had already sold their belongings and made travel arrangements, often in the hope to be resettled to a country where they can be safe, are allowed to work, and have access to health care.
IRAP’s director and co-founder, Becca Heller, told The Guardian: “We work with thousands of refugees who wait years to be approved for resettlement in extremely treacherous circumstances. To yank the promise of safety away at the last minute of the process is inhumane and a gross violation of international law.”
Indeed, many of the refugees are tired of waiting in uncertainty. “If we can’t leave to the US, we will go by boat to somewhere,” one of the affected refugees told the reporters.
You can read the full article here.