YİMER 157, 15,619 People Rescued in 9 Years Amid Efforts Against Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence
Göç İdaresi Başkanı Atilla Toros has announced that YİMER 157, the Foreigners Communication Center, serves as an emergency hotline for victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and migrant smuggling, rescuing 15,619 people since its inception.
In his statement, Toros detailed how YİMER 157 has been operational since August 20, 2015, providing essential services over the past nine years.
YİMER 157 operates 24/7 for emergencies, coordinating calls related to human trafficking, domestic violence, and migrant smuggling with law enforcement agencies, Toros mentioned. He emphasized the cooperation between the Directorate General of Migration Management, the Police, Gendarmerie, and Coast Guard in combating irregular migration and migrant smuggling.
Toros highlighted that their efforts are grounded in civilizational values, human rights, and a lawful migration management approach.
YİMER 157 has fielded 909 emergency calls in coordination with law enforcement, rescuing 231 people through the hotline this year alone, stated Toros.
Toros stressed the importance of foreigners coming to Turkey in compliance with laws and maintaining ongoing communication with them in accordance with Turkish interests and legislation. He noted the increasing interest of foreigners in Turkey and expressed the wish for this movement to be lawful.
Currently, 1,104,353 people reside in Turkey with residence permits for reasons such as education, health, tourism, and work, alongside those seeking refuge, summing up to 4,425,230 legal residents, revealed Toros.
Toros reported that in 2023, Turkey received 56,693,837 international visitors. YİMER 157 provides information support to all foreigners in Turkey, including international investors, experts, scientists, and asylum seekers.
YİMER 157 operates as an information hotline on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and as an emergency line 24/7. It covers topics under the Directorate’s jurisdiction, such as visas, residency permits, and international and temporary protection.
YİMER 157 also responds to webchat, email, and social media inquiries. Since its launch, it has handled 23,106,062 calls and received nine international awards for “Best Emergency Services.” It offers services in Turkish, English, Russian, Arabic, and Farsi.
Toros noted that the most frequent inquiries to YİMER 157 are related to residence permits. A protocol with the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) allows international students to connect directly to foreign representatives by pressing “2” after calling YİMER 157.
In conclusion, Atilla Toros stated, “As the Directorate General of Migration Management, we continue our efforts to contribute to our country’s goals of internationalization in higher education without interruption. Our protocol with YÖK marks a significant milestone. International students calling YİMER 157 can directly connect to a foreign representative by pressing ‘2’ for assistance specific to their concerns.”
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