Joint Programme

Horizontal Facility

As many as 36 lawyers from the Gaziantep Bar Association deepened their knowledge of European and international human rights standards during the 10^th and final cascade training on Detention in the Context of Migration held on 25–26 September 2025 in Gaziantep.

Organised under the European Union and Council of Europe joint action Strengthening the human rights protection in the context of migration in Türkiye, in co-operation with the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, a series of cascade trainings has been implemented since March 2024. Ten sessions have been successfully completed in co-operation with local bar associations in İstanbul, İzmir, Adana, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Bursa, Mersin, Ankara, Kayseri, and Gaziantep. Participants acknowledged  the practical relevance of the training and noted that the interactive sessions contributed to a deeper understanding of human rights standards.

The trainings were conducted by experienced lawyers and mentors who had themselves been trained under the action. A wide range of topics was covered during the training, including lawfulness of detention, alternatives to immigration detention, restrictions on freedom of movement, detention conditions, monitoring mechanisms, guarantees for vulnerable persons, and the principle of non-refoulement. Participants analysed both the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and the Turkish Constitutional Court, while also reflecting on domestic legislation and field experiences.

The cascade trainings mark an important step in strengthening the protection of the right to liberty and security in the migration context, while contributing to the alignment of the legal practice in Türkiye with European and international human rights standards.

The action “Strengthening the human rights protection in the context of migration in Türkiye”  is part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.