Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality – Assisting Syrians by Establishing a Reintegration Support Centre

Türkiye

May 13

Written By Sophie van Haasen

Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality

Mayor

Fatma Sahin

Start of Project

June 2025

End of Project

Ongoing

Overview

The Metropolitan Municipality of Gaziantep commits to assisting Syrian individuals residing in Türkiye who wish to voluntarily, safely, and sustainably return to their country by establishing a Reintegration Support Centre. Through the Centre, Gaziantep commits to supporting the return and reintegration process in a manner that is respectful of human rights, transparent, non-coercive, and consistent with human dignity.

The Centre aims to provide rights-based information to individuals who have decided to return, guide them on their legal rights and obligations, offer psycho-social and legal support, facilitate logistical procedures, and support post-return reintegration processes. Under no circumstances do the Centre’s activities exert any pressure on individuals to return; rather, the Centre is structured solely to support voluntary, informed, and conscious decisions made of free will.

The vision of the Reintegration Support Centre is to establish an inclusive, sustainable, and human rights-based support ecosystem that upholds human dignity at every stage of the voluntary return process.

Expected Impact

Based on principles of international human rights law and the Do No Harm approach, as well as a commitment to unconditionally upholding the principle of non-refoulment, the Centre is expected to:

Provide up-to-date, accurate, and transparent information regarding the process of returning to Syria.
Affirm and respect individuals' decisions regarding return, ensuring that any decision is made voluntarily, on the basis of informed consent, and free from coercion, manipulation, or undue influence.
Offer legal counselling, psycho-social support, health referrals, logistical and financial assistance to those wishing to return.
Provide rights-based services that prioritize the protection of vulnerable groups (children, women, elderly, persons with disabilities, individuals with a history of trauma). This support includes legal counselling, psycho-social support, and health screenings and referrals. It also includes logistical and financial assistance to those wishing to return, such as support with documentation, border procedures, and transport arrangements.
Contribute to the reintegration of returnees in Syria and to develop financial and technical support mechanisms in collaboration with local and international stakeholders.

To this end, the Centre:

Aims to become a model practice that strengthens institutional cooperation between Türkiye and Syria and supports return and reintegration processes through a holistic and integrated model.
Operates in compliance with international humanitarian law, international protection standards, and the principles of the United Nations.
Seeks to foster peaceful reintegration through practices that promote social cohesion and solidarity both with the host community in Türkiye and within Syrian communities upon return.
Works to enhance mechanisms that facilitate access to education, employment, healthcare, and essential services for returnees, thus supporting long-term social and economic sustainability.