8 Istanbul’s districts restricted to foreigners for resident permit

ISTANBUL

Foreigners can no longer apply for a residence permit in eight of Istanbul’s districts, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has announced.

Speaking at a press conference on “Migration” held at the provincial directorate of migration, Soylu stated that new foreign applications for residence permits will not be accepted in eight districts, which are Küçükçekmece, Başakşehir, Bağcılar, Avcılar, Bahçelievler, Sultangazi, Esenler and Zeytinburnu.

The number of Syrians in Türkiye is 3,646,278, while the number of those who remain under the protection is 321,052, the minister said.

A total of 551,829 Syrian migrants reside in Istanbul, while the southeastern provinces of Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa host 466,00 and 384,000 Syrians, respectively.

Türkiye has become one of the key transit points for migrants looking to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

According to the ministry, some 17,000 irregular migrants are currently accommodated in detention centers across the country, waiting to be sent back to their homelands.

Since the start of the year, a total of 84,993 irregular migrants have been deported from Türkiye, the Presidency of Migration Management has said.

Nearly 220,000 irregular migrants have also been prevented from illegally entering the country this year, while between Sept. 16 and 22, more than 5,000 people were stopped at Türkiye’s borders, according to the authority.