By Meryem Goktas
ANTALYA, Turkey
A global humanitarian body representative has suggested that countries dealing with a migration crisis could grant short-term citizenship to refugees.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said a 120-day-long temporary legal citizenship could provide some protection to refugees.
The Malaysian doctor presented this idea during an exhibition at IFRC's General Assembly meeting in Turkey's Mediterranean resort city of Antalya from Nov. 5-11.
Explaining her idea, she said: "It does not allow you residency in the country but at least social security, while you look for long-term solutions for these people."
"That takes actually a lot of and worry from the countries and also gives people the right to live with dignity, which is very important for every human being," she added.
Mahmood said the program did not apply to Turkey and praised the country's efforts towards rehabilitating the Syrian refugees.
"They are not refugees to Turkey, they are your guests and you have treated them with love and care and provided them with services," she said.
Mahmood praised the Turkish Red Crescent, calling it the "driving force for community engagement".
According to official statistics, Turkey currently hosts more than 3.4 million Syrians who have fled their country since the beginning of the civil war in 2011.
The forced displacement worldwide is at its highest in decades. According to the UN Refugee Agency's annual Global Trends report, an unprecedented 65.6 million people at the end of 2016 were forced to leave their homes due to conflicts and persecution.
Speaking about her experiences as a woman working in the international aid sector, Mahmood said: "Women have a very different perspective and the ability to look at a crisis situation and see very differently from men."
She added there was a disproportionate impact of on women.
"I think that more women should be in this sector because we can reach out to these women [in conflict areas] and I think that in an era of gender equality, we need to lead as well," she added.
Mahmood is also the founder of non-profit organization MERCY Malaysia which has been responding to international humanitarian crisis since 1999.
