On International Migrants Day (18 December), TÜRGEV highlights a preventive approach to migration by addressing climate change, education, employment, and social resilience.
18 December 2025
Marking International Migrants Day on 18 December, TÜRGEV drew attention to migration as a global issue increasingly shaped by the climate crisis, drought, education, and employment dynamics. The Foundation emphasized that through its environment-, education-, and production-oriented fieldwork, it continues to strengthen Türkiye’s preventive social protection framework by addressing the root causes of migration rather than its consequences.
In a statement issued on the occasion of International Migrants Day, designated by the United Nations, the Türkiye Youth and Education Service Foundation (TÜRGEV) underlined that migration has evolved into a strategic global challenge that must be addressed through a multidimensional perspective. This perspective encompasses climate change, drought, access to education, and employment opportunities, while prioritizing long-term social resilience over short-term responses.
The Foundation noted that, in line with Türkiye’s people-centered development vision, it implements a sustainable, field-based approach focused on preventing forced migration by tackling its underlying structural causes.
Referring to UNESCO data, TÜRGEV highlighted that more than 281 million people worldwide are currently living outside their country of birth. This reality demonstrates that migration can no longer be explained solely through temporary crises, but has become a permanent, structural, and climate-driven global phenomenon.
In a period marked by drought suppressing agricultural production, water stress undermining living conditions, and declining productivity forcing populations to relocate, the statement emphasized that this cycle of displacement can only be broken through locally grounded development, education, and production policies.
The statement stressed that TÜRGEV’s approach constitutes a complementary pillar of Türkiye’s homegrown and nationally rooted social protection architecture. Through initiatives such as tree-planting activities that enhance environmental and climate awareness, sustainability-focused projects addressing drought risks, programs expanding access to education in disadvantaged regions, and practices ensuring the continuity of education after natural disasters, TÜRGEV has established a strong, preventive, and lasting line of social resilience against the environmental and social vulnerabilities that fuel migration.
The statement further noted that TÜRGEV’s employment-focused initiatives form a key pillar of this holistic approach. Through the “Mesleğinle Yüksel – Skills for Employment” project, implemented in cooperation with vocational colleges (associate degree institutions), young people are supported in acquiring qualified vocational skills, participating in local production, and building sustainable livelihoods within their own regions.
This initiative was described as a concrete, field-based reflection of Türkiye’s homegrown and nationally rooted social development model, offering an effective response to key risk factors such as unemployment and future uncertainty that often trigger forced migration.
Hatice Akıncı Yılmaz: “We Are on the Ground Before the Conditions That Drive Migration Emerge”
Commenting on the issue, TÜRGEV President Hatice Akıncı Yılmaz recalled President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement, “Migration is not only a matter of security, but also a matter of humanity,” and continued:
“This perspective defines the core direction of all our work. We do not wait until migration reaches our doorstep; we choose to be present in the field before the conditions that force people to migrate even emerge. When the environment is protected, life remains rooted where it belongs; when education is strengthened, young people remain in their communities; when vocational skills are supported, production stays local. Through our ‘Mesleğinle Yüksel – Skills for Employment’ project, we enable young people to acquire qualified skills, participate in production, and build their futures in their own cities with dignity. This approach represents the field-based strength of Türkiye’s homegrown and nationally rooted social development vision.”
On the occasion of International Migrants Day, TÜRGEV called for a holistic and nationally grounded approach to the relationship between migration, climate change, and drought; for unwavering support for education as Türkiye’s strongest social protection line; for a firm stance against hate speech based on social unity and compassion; and for an uncompromising commitment to a civilizational understanding that places human dignity at its core.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is International Migrants Day and why is it observed on 18 December?
International Migrants Day is observed annually on 18 December following a United Nations resolution to recognize the rights, challenges, and contributions of migrants worldwide and to promote humane, inclusive approaches to migration.
Why does TÜRGEV focus on a preventive approach to migration?
TÜRGEV focuses on prevention because many forms of migration are driven by structural factors such as climate change, drought, lack of access to education, and limited employment opportunities. Addressing these root causes helps reduce forced and irregular migration before it begins.
How is climate change linked to migration?
Climate change intensifies droughts, water stress, and declining agricultural productivity, making livelihoods unsustainable and increasingly forcing communities to relocate.
What role does education play in preventing forced migration?
Education strengthens resilience by improving access to skills, employment, and social mobility. For TÜRGEV, education is a key pillar of social protection that enables young people to build sustainable futures within their own communities.
How does TÜRGEV contribute to Türkiye’s social protection framework?
TÜRGEV contributes through environmental initiatives, education support programs, vocational training projects implemented with vocational colleges, and post-disaster education continuity efforts, forming a complementary and preventive layer of social protection.
What is “Skills for Employment”?
“Mesleğinle Yüksel – Skills for Employment” is a TÜRGEV initiative that supports young people through vocational education and skills development in partnership with vocational colleges, enabling sustainable local employment and reducing migration pressures.
