Contribution to refugee studies from CIU Academic

Cyprus International University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Social Work lecturer Buse Erzeybek provided training on the necessary roles and responsibilities and social policies that Social Services specialists working in the Social Services Departments working with refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants should be equipped with within the scope of the "Social Services and Refugee Rights" training organized by the Human Rights Platform (HRP).

Founded in partnership with the Universal Patient Rights Association, Refugee Rights Association, Queer Cyprus Association, Turkish Cypriot Human Rights Foundation, Civil Society Initiative Association, HRP launched a European Union-supported project in October 2021, aiming to respect human rights in the country with the activities it organizes, and to contribute to a fair, democratic, egalitarian understanding of inclusion.

Erzeybek stated that within the scope of the project, many activities and studies were conducted on refugee rights, fight against human trafficking, LGBTI+ rights, democratic rights and detention conditions. She also stated that free legal support was provided and violations of rights were recorded.

Erzeybek pointed out that HRP, within the framework of the same project, also provides trainings on various fields of human rights for civil servants in the country, and emphasized that together with Burcu Okur, the social counselor of the Refugee Rights Association, they have given a training on "Social Services and Refugee Rights."

Erzeybek pointed out that besides the theoretical training in question, they carried out workshops and case studies with the same group, and noted that this way, the participants were able to reinforce their knowledge.

Erzeybek explained that at the end of the training, the participants had the chance to see both their individual deficiencies and how social policies, immigration policies and laws should be improved and amended in this context; she also added they were hopeful that with these practices, social justice and human rights-based approach can be achieved through collaborative studies.