Refugees and Migrants

This page has been created to provide support and information for Iranian Christian refugees and asylum seekers, as well as those who support them. It addresses their key rights, challenges, and needs. Our focus on this page is on Turkey, as the vast majority of Iranian Christians seek refuge there after fleeing Iran. We are also aware that some Iranian Christian refugees reside in other countries such as Armenia, Georgia, or Greece, and we hope the information provided here will be helpful to them as well. For more information on the situation of Iranian Christian refugees and asylum seekers in Turkey, please refer to our recent report titled “The Plight of Iranian Christians Claiming International Protection in Türkiye.”

It should be noted that Article18 does not encourage anyone to leave their country or to seek asylum, as the asylum process comes with many challenges. However, as a human rights organisation, we consider it our responsibility to support the free flow of information and to provide asylum seekers with the necessary information so that they can make better-informed decisions about their future.

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Who is a refugee?

In recent years, asylum applications by Iranians have increased significantly. Migrants—especially economic migrants—move by choice in order to improve the prospects of their own lives and those of their families. Refugees, however, are forced to move from place to place in order to save their lives and preserve their freedom, seeking protection from torture and persecution.

According to Article 1 of the 1951 Geneva Convention and its 1967 Protocol, a “refugee” is defined as a person who, “owing to a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, has fled their country and is unable to return.” In countries that receive refugees, if an individual can demonstrate that they fall within this definition, they will be recognised as a refugee.

An “asylum seeker” is a person who applies for protection and the right to reside as a refugee in a foreign country and is awaiting a decision regarding their status under domestic and international regulations.

Given the substantial and well-documented evidence, recognised by international bodies, that the Iranian government violates the rights of religious minorities—particularly Christian converts—and does not tolerate their presence in Iranian society, it can be assumed that such refugees, if returned to Iran, would face serious hardship, persecution, and violations of their rights. Even if they are not formally prosecuted, they would be forced to practise their Christian faith in secrecy. Otherwise, if they choose to practise their beliefs openly, they may face the same consequences experienced by other Christians, including imprisonment, torture, and exile, as documented by Article 18 in cooperation with other human rights organisations.

What is third-country resettlement?

The process of resettling refugees in another country that accepts them and grants them the right to reside there indefinitely is referred to as “third-country resettlement.” This often lengthy process begins with obtaining conditional refugee status. Third-country resettlement is a solution through which vulnerable refugees may be transferred from the country where they initially sought asylum to another country where they can access the protection and support needed to address their specific needs.

For example, in Turkey, which hosts a large number of Iranian refugees, this process is carried out and managed through cooperation between the Directorate General of Migration Management, affiliated with the Ministry of Interior, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Obtaining conditional refugee status, based on international conventions signed by Turkey as well as its domestic laws, does not necessarily mean that a refugee will be resettled in a third country.

Within the framework of third-country resettlement, countries that accept refugees set and announce only a very limited number of resettlement quotas each year. Only a small number of refugees meet the criteria required for resettlement. These criteria are not determined by UNHCR, but rather by the countries that volunteer to accept refugees. As a result, only about one percent of all refugees worldwide are resettled in a third country. Currently, Turkey hosts the largest number of refugees and asylum seekers in the world, with approximately 3.7 million refugees.

What are the primary challenges facing Iranian Christian refugees in Türkiye?

Iranian Christian refugees face numerous challenges, ranging from uncertainty in the asylum process, to issues related to employment, access to medical services, social discrimination, and the threat of deportation. These challenges not only affect their daily lives but also jeopardise their future. By clicking on the link below, you can read more about the main challenges faced by Iranian Christian refugees in Turkey.

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Recommendations

In our recent report, we have presented the following recommendations to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Turkish authorities, and refugee-hosting governments:

  • The Turkish immigration authorities should clarify the application procedure, providing a timeline within which claims will be processed, and undertake and illustrate due diligence in assessing refugee claims, including those of Iranian Christians;
  • Turkey should provide access to basic healthcare beyond the first year of registration for protection, and regulate and facilitate employment opportunities for refugees, thereby ending exploitation in the workplace;
  • Refugee-receiving governments should provide resettlement opportunities and develop sponsorship programmes to expedite the resettlement process for Iranian Christians and other refugees in Turkey.
  • The UNHCR must ensure the resettlement process is transparent, and intervene swiftly to assist refugees and asylum-seekers who are in imminent danger of refoulement;

FAQ

Can non-governmental organisations and institutions change the living conditions of Persian-speaking Christian refugees and asylum seekers?

Various organisations and NGOs provide support to refugees and asylum-seekers in Turkey. These organisations can offer legal advice, help with the asylum application process, and provide assistance in accessing basic services. Some of these organisations include:

  • UNHCR Turkey: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) works closely with the Turkish government to provide support and protection to refugees and asylum-seekers in the country.
  • ASAM: The Association for Solidarity with Asylum-Seekers and Migrants (ASAM) is a prominent NGO in Turkey that offers various services such as legal counselling, psychological support, and social assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers.
  • Refugee Rights Turkey: Refugee Rights Turkey is an independent NGO that provides legal assistance, information, and guidance to refugees and asylum-seekers in Turkey.
  • Social assistance: Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for social assistance programmes, such as cash assistance, food, clothing, and other support provided by the government or NGOs.
CAN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS, E.G. ARTICLE18, OR OTHER NGOS PROVIDE SPONSORS AND FACILITATE RESETTLEMENT?

While it is the responsibility of the UNHCR or Turkish authorities to assess asylum claims, NGOs such as Article18 can help to provide letters of recommendation regarding resettlement in cases where an individual’s rights violations in Iran are well-documented. If you would like to be considered for this provision, please fill out our “Report an Incident” form.

For more information about “How do I know if I have a resettlement case?” and “Who makes the final decision on my case for resettlement?” please visit this link.

I have been recognised by the UNHCR as a refugee, can the Turkish government ignore the UNHCR’s decision and issue my deportation?

States establish their own procedures of how to examine and determine the status of asylum applications. In countries where there is a national asylum procedure, including Turkey, the UNHCR is not primarily responsible but may offer advice and technical support. The UNHCR will only assume responsibility when a state is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or does not have a fair and efficient national asylum procedure in place.

The immigration services in my host country claim that there is no persecution of Christians in Iran, how do I respond to that?

Direct them to Article18’s website for documented rights violations against Christians in Iran, including our latest annual report.

Can Article18 help me if I wasn’t persecuted in Iran but am an Iranian Christian who fears persecution if deported back to Iran?

Article18 is unable to provide individual support to those without documentation regarding the rights violations they experienced inside Iran. However, we hope that our reports can provide assistance for asylum-seekers and their lawyers looking to prove that Christians in Iran are at real risk of persecution – a fact accepted by the UK’s Home Office, among others.

Latest news and reports

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Refugee Testimonies and Recommendations

Fariba Nazemianpour

I spoke with a Christian brother about my asylum situation and that of my family. He gave me information about immigrating to Canada through sponsorship…

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Homayoun Shokouhi Gholamzadeh

We don’t just pray for refugees; we also take practical steps within our capacity. For example, we worked with a church leadership team that was not familiar with sponsorship pathways…

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Iman Ghaznaviyan

From the time I began completing the Canadian sponsorship forms until my departure, it took about four years, as Ukrainian and Afghan refugees were prioritised during and after the COVID-19 pandemic…

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Hekmat Salimi-Saadi

In Iran, because of my Christian faith and church activities, I experienced imprisonment and persecution by the government on four occasions. Despite this, the Turkish authorities rejected our case and issued a deportation order for me and my family…

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Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Form

Article 18 works—within its limited capacity—to support Christian refugees and asylum seekers who have been victims of human rights violations in Iran, particularly those relating to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (freedom of religion or belief).

For this purpose, we invite individuals who have been detained (for more than 24 hours) or imprisoned in Iran due to their Christian activities, or who have received judicial sentences (such as imprisonment, exile, fines, social deprivation, flogging, etc.), to complete the following form and share their experiences and challenges with us.

We seek to support them in areas such as providing legal advice in cases where there is a risk of deportation, covering essential medical expenses, facilitating access to counselling or psychotherapy, and offering other forms of assistance.

In addition, we will endeavour—through Article 18’s connections with international bodies, churches with sponsorship capacity, and other reputable and effective organisations—to advocate for their rights and freedoms.

Support Form