The EU has analyzed how the aid it gave to Turkey for refugees was used and presented the data in a report. The report criticizes the sustainability of the projects, lists the provinces with the highest number of refugees and emphasizes inflation.
The European Union (EU) has examined how the financial support provided to Ankara under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRIT) was used and announced its findings in a report. The report details how €5.5 billion in humanitarian aid has been provided since 2017, in addition to the €6 billion in FRIT assistance provided by the EU, bringing the total to €11.5 billion. It also criticized the sustainability of projects for refugees and the difficulties in data access.
“While the migration of Syrian refugees continues, the increase in irregular entries from Afghanistan into Turkey is increasing tensions between refugees and the public in Turkey, which is experiencing economic difficulties. After the February 2023 earthquakes, the challenges and tensions have intensified. In this environment, our report will help to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the projects supported by FRIT and the additional 3 billion euros of funding to be provided.” The report, which lists each project, also includes information on the processes of the funded projects.
The report, dated May 2024, is titled “A tool for refugees in Turkey: Beneficial for refugees and host communities, but impact and sustainability yet to be achieved”. According to the report, of the €5.98 billion in FRIT assistance, 40.8 percent (€2 billion 439.5 million) was spent on humanitarian aid and 59.1 percent (€3 billion 538.6 million) on development assistance. It said the program was generally meeting refugee needs, but there were significant delays in implementation. “Project costs were not systematically evaluated. While planned outputs have been achieved, the impact of the Facility has not been adequately measured and sustainability has so far only been achieved for infrastructure projects and not for some projects in the education, health and socio-economic support sectors.”
The report noted that high inflation in Turkey has prevented many infrastructure projects from meeting their targets and that some projects are in danger of not being completed due to high inflation after the planned date of disbursement of funds.
It noted that the Facility was implemented in the context of deteriorating EU-Turkey bilateral relations since 2016. “The EU has imposed sanctions and restrictions on Turkey due to Turkey’s backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental rights, deteriorating relations with some EU member states and unauthorized drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the ECA report found.
According to the map in the report, Kilis hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees in Turkey in proportion to its population. Refugees make up 32.5 percent of Kilis’ population. Gaziantep ranks second with 16.5 percent of its population consisting of refugees. Hatay ranks third with 14.2 percent refugee population. The map shows Istanbul and Gaziantep as the two provinces with 300 thousand or more refugees.
