About us

  • Hıstory of UYRT

The idea of creating a Union of Young Refugees in Turkey came out in January 2010 during the new year party of the Congolese Community. We decided to create a Union for unaccompanied minor refugees in Turkey. At the beginning we were only Congolese. The first aim was to try to solve our problems and to find solutions regarding housing, food and health after we were obliged to quit the state shelter for minors when we turned 18 years old. We had our first meeting in Beyoğlu on January 6, 2010 … see more

  • General Background

The situation of young refugees in Turkey
We are a self-organized group of young refugees from different countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Guinea, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Somalia. We all arrived in Turkey because of the situation in our countries of origin. We can not go back because we fear to face persecution and ill-treatment upon return. We all arrived in Turkey as non-accompanied minors … see more

  • Specific objectives of the project
  1.  Help young minors who have just arrived to Turkey to accomplish the formalities with the UNHCR and the Police and provide them with housing before their transfer to the state shelter for minors
  2. To improve the living conditions of unaccompanied minors after they leave the state shelters: provide them with housing, food and a better access to health care.
  3. Help the young people being transferred to assigned satellite cities, by helping them to pay a part of the residence permit and to grant them with small financial assistance for their first nights in the satellite city.
  4. Provide young refugee with opportunities of education and trainings: English and Turkish language classes, computer classes, etc. …see more

.. by Union of young refugee in Turkey from 2010 to 2011

For the startup of our/UNION and NGO, we contacted the following organizations and persons:

On February 26, 2010 we wrote a letter to the Episcopal Conference in Turkey to solicit help from Caritas. Mr. Padovese, the president of Caritas Turkey and the president of the Episcopal Conference in Turkey took note of our letter and then contacted Mr René Pangulu Ngangambi on Saturday 27 march 2011 at 11 am to thank him. He promised to help us and he sent an email on Sunday 28 march to reiterate that he would help us.

On 7th July, 2010 the organization « Kimse Yok Mu » gave us some food via UNHCR. …...see more