One of the most prominent shortcomings of Türkiye’s legal framework for asylum is the failure to commit to providing state-funded accommodation to asylum applicants. Article 95(1) LFIP clearly establishes that as a rule, international protection applicants and status holders shall secure their own accommodation by their own means. Neither the LFIP nor the RFIP indicate any plans to offer international protection applicants financial assistance to cover housing expenses.
The PMM is authorised to set up Reception and Accommodation Centres to be used to address “accommodation, nutrition, health care, social and other needs” of international protection applicants and status holders.[1] The Reception and Accommodation Centres referred to in Article 95 LFIP should not be confused with the “temporary accommodation centres”, the large-scale camps in the south of Türkiye that accommodate refugees from Syria subject to the temporary protection regime (see Temporary Protection: Housing).
There is only one remaining Reception and Accommodation Centre in operation in the province of Yozgat with a modest capacity of 100 places.[2] The centre is envisioned as a short-stay facility, where persons apprehended and wishing to apply for international protection may be hosted for a couple of days before being directed to register their application. In practice, these centres are mainly available to applicants with special needs such as victims of gender-based violence, torture or physical violence, single women, elderly and disabled people. According to the TIHEK report, the foreigners who have stayed the longest in the facility include a Syrian woman and her two children who were admitted in 2011.[3]
In emergencies involving urgent cases, NGOs including IOM and Turkish Red Crescent community centres may be able to arrange short-term hotel accommodation for individual applicants with special needs, depending on their available resources. However, this support is generally limited to those who are unable to secure housing through employment or family networks. For example, single men or families with an able-bodied male household member are typically excluded. NGOs also assess whether applicants have other sources of support, such as relatives living abroad.
Unaccompanied minors are generally not eligible for such accommodation support, as NGOs consider it too risky to place them without a legal guardian in a separate house or hotel. Due to recent funding cuts, NGO resources have become extremely limited. In most cases, they can only provide hotel accommodation for a few days or, in exceptional circumstances, cover the cost of a first month’s rent.
In practice, eligibility for accommodation support and the criteria for assessing vulnerability often depend on the funding source of the institution. While some providers strictly limit support to the most vulnerable individuals—such as single women or survivors of gender-based violence—others may also extend assistance to single men. [4]For these reasons, NGOs have continue to advocate for the establishment of Reception and Accommodation Centres rather that further investment in additional Removal Centres. International protection applicant women can access women’s shelters (See: Women and girls under temporary protection) and children can access to Child Support Centres (CODEMs). Women’s shelters provide temporary accommodation for women at risk and their children under the age of 12. Children over the age of 12 are placed in dormitories affiliated with the General Directorate of Child Services after the necessary examination. Even though children need to leave the shelters when they turn to 18, the implementations might be flexible for specific cases considering any specific vulnerabilities or for education reasons.
The Municipality of Istanbul operates several guesthouses. One of them, located at the main coach station in Esenler, offers temporary accommodation for up to two weeks, but only to individuals who possess valid ID cards and, if registered in a province other than Istanbul, valid travel permits. Another facility – a winter shelter that previously provided temporary accommodation stopped accepting foreigners in 2024.[5]
[1] Article 95(2) LFIP.
[2] Human Rights and Equality Commission of Türkiye, ‘Visit to Yozgat Reception and Accommodation Centre’, 15 June 2022, available here.; Yeniufuk, Kabul ve Barınma Merkezi’ne ziyaret, 19.12.2024, available here.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Information provided by multiple stakeholders, May 2025.
[5] Information provided by a stakeholder, May 2025, İBB, Geçici Barınma Merkezi, available here.