Melike Aydın

 

İZMİR - The four children of A.A., who made a living by collecting scrap and plastic, were placed in the dormitory by the state. Continuing her struggle for life with her two children, A. stated that it was not possible for her to create the conditions to get her children back and called for solidarity by expressing that she could not get a positive response from any state institution to which she applied, said: ‘’I am about to drawn into prostitution, the state is responsible.’’

 

A.A., which makes a living by collecting scrap and plastic in the Bayraklı district of İzmir, is waiting for solidarity to be able to continue the struggle for life with her six children. AA. and her six children are forced to live in tents first, and then they agree to settle in containers in the İzmir Governor's Office Bayraklı Temporary Accommodation Center due to the pressure of the municipal police and the fear that her children will be taken from her by the Social Services Institution and placed in a dormitory. However, here, too, she is exposed to discrimination based on her Roma identity.

Although she accepts to settle in the container for her children, she cannot prevent her children from being taken from her and placed in the dormitory. Four children aged 10, eight, six and two are taken by the Child Welfare Service and placed in a dormitory. While A. is struggling for life with her two sons, all she wants is to have a house with her children. Stating that she can see her children in the dormitory once a week, A. said that she cannot make a living by collecting paper and plastic and is at risk of being drawn into prostitution.

 

‘First they gave me hope, then they took my children’

 

While being placed in the container, A. begins to explain her situation by saying, ‘’They give hope, but they give nothing’’, stating that they were promised work and a house. She mentioned that they stayed in a house temporarily and could not pay the rent of 20 TRY per day and 650 TRY per month. A. said that to get her children back, she had to have a furnished house and a job that would meet all the needs of the children.

 

She was discriminated

 

‘’We are asked for things that we do not see in our dreams, I am worried that I will not be able to take my children,’’ A. said and finally stated: ‘’We trusted the container, we said that the state would help us. They gave 1100 liras to everyone per household, although I applied to them, they were not paid a penny. If a disaster befalls me, if I take the wrong path, the state is responsible. Giving a box of supplies is no help. They threw us to the very edge in the container, saying that we should not disturb people. They discriminated.’’