Step 1: On-Site Visit & Case File Review
We conduct an in-person visit to the Removal Center to meet with the individual and thoroughly examine the official administrative detention file.
Step 2: Legal Challenge Against Deportation
If valid legal grounds exist, we file an annulment lawsuit before the competent Administrative Court to challenge and stay the execution of the deportation order.
Step 3: Judicial Appeal for Release
We submit formal legal petitions to the Magistrate Court for Peace (Sulh Ceza Hakimliği) to challenge the administrative detention and request release from the Removal Center.
Turkey Immigration and Deportation Lawyer ''Liman Hukuk''
Being placed in a Turkey Removal Center can create important legal questions for a foreign national and their family. A person transferred to a Geri Gönderme Merkezi (Removal Center) may be subject to administrative detention, a deportation decision, immigration-related proceedings or other measures under Turkish immigration legislation.
For foreign nationals held in Istanbul, facilities such as Tuzla Removal Center, Arnavutköy Removal Center and Binkılıç Removal Center may become relevant depending on the person's administrative status and the location to which they have been transferred. In Van, the Kurubaş Removal Center is another important facility within the Turkish removal center system.
The legal position of a detained foreign national cannot be determined solely by the name of the removal center. The deportation decision, administrative detention decision, notification documents, immigration history, restriction codes and individual circumstances may all need to be examined.
A Turkey Removal Center lawyer can assist with reviewing these matters and identifying potentially available administrative or judicial procedures.
No lawyer can guarantee the cancellation of a deportation decision, release from administrative detention, suspension of removal or a particular court outcome. Such decisions are made by the competent administrative authorities and courts according to the applicable law, evidence and circumstances of each individual case.
A Turkey Removal Center, known in Turkish as a Geri Gönderme Merkezi (GGM), is a facility used within Türkiye's migration management system for certain foreign nationals who are subject to administrative detention.
A removal center is legally different from a criminal prison. Administrative detention under immigration legislation is a distinct legal measure and should be evaluated according to the applicable provisions of Turkish immigration law.
A foreign national may be transferred to a removal center in circumstances involving a deportation process or other immigration-related administrative procedures.
The individual circumstances may include:
a deportation decision;
irregular entry or stay;
violation of visa or residence requirements;
previous immigration violations;
a previous deportation;
identity or travel-document issues;
circumstances relevant to administrative detention;
other matters regulated by Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection.
The precise reason for detention should be established from the official administrative records.
Administrative detention is one of the principal legal issues that may arise when a foreign national is placed in a Turkey Removal Center.
It is important to distinguish administrative detention from a deportation decision.
A foreign national may have a deportation decision and an administrative detention decision at the same time. However, these measures have different legal characteristics and may require separate legal assessment.
For example, a person held at Tuzla Removal Center may need legal assistance concerning both the deportation process and the administrative detention decision. Similarly, a foreign national held at Arnavutköy Removal Center or Binkılıç Removal Center may require an examination of the specific administrative decisions issued in their case.
The same principle applies to a foreign national held at Kurubaş Removal Center in Van.
The location of detention does not by itself determine what legal remedy is available.
Istanbul has several facilities relevant to removal and administrative detention proceedings.
Official documents published by the Presidency of Migration Management identify Tuzla Removal Center, Binkılıç Removal Center and Arnavutköy Removal Center among the Istanbul facilities. A 2025 official procurement document concerning Istanbul removal centers separately identifies these facilities and their respective locations.
This distinction can be important for family members and legal representatives.
A family member may know only that a relative has been taken to an “Istanbul Geri Gönderme Merkezi.” However, the exact facility may be relevant when arranging communication, legal representation and procedural follow-up.
For this reason, the first step in an Istanbul removal center matter may be establishing whether the person is being held at Tuzla, Arnavutköy, Binkılıç or another facility.
The Tuzla Removal Center is one of the facilities associated with immigration detention in Istanbul.
Official Istanbul immigration administration records have referred to the Tuzla Geri Gönderme Merkezi, and the current official documentation continues to identify the facility within Istanbul's removal center infrastructure.
A foreign national held at Tuzla may have questions concerning administrative detention, deportation proceedings or the legal status of their immigration file.
A Tuzla Removal Center lawyer may first review the relevant administrative decisions and documents.
This may include examining:
whether a deportation decision has been issued;
whether administrative detention has been ordered;
the stated legal grounds for detention;
the date of the relevant decisions;
whether the decisions have been notified;
whether any restriction code is recorded;
whether there are relevant family or personal circumstances;
which legal remedies may potentially be available.
The appropriate legal procedure depends on the individual case.
The Arnavutköy Removal Center is another facility relevant to immigration proceedings in Istanbul.
Official 2025 documentation concerning Istanbul removal center infrastructure identifies an Arnavutköy Geri Gönderme Merkezi in Hadımköy, Arnavutköy, Istanbul.
The Arnavutköy location can also appear in the context of other migration-management activities. For example, official information from the Ankara Provincial Directorate of Migration Management has referred to voluntary return procedures being carried out at the Istanbul Arnavutköy campus.
For a foreign national who is actually detained at the Arnavutköy Removal Center, however, the relevant legal question is the person's own administrative status and the decisions issued in their case.
A lawyer may review the deportation decision, administrative detention decision and other relevant documents before determining what legal steps may potentially be considered.
The Binkılıç Removal Center is located in the Çatalca area of Istanbul and is separately identified in official immigration administration documentation. The 2025 procurement document concerning Istanbul removal centers specifically identifies the Binkılıç GGM and its location in Çatalca.
A foreign national transferred to Binkılıç may be subject to administrative detention in connection with immigration proceedings.
The legal assessment may involve reviewing the circumstances that resulted in the person's detention and determining whether a deportation decision has also been issued.
A Binkılıç Removal Center lawyer may need to examine the relevant administrative documents before determining whether an objection, judicial application or another legal procedure may be appropriate.
The fact that a person is being held at Binkılıç does not itself establish the legal outcome of the case.
The Kurubaş Removal Center is located in Van and is an important facility for foreign nationals subject to administrative detention in the region.
The Van Provincial Directorate of Migration Management has published information concerning visitor arrangements at the Kurubaş Geri Gönderme Merkezi, including arrangements for lawyers and certain family members to meet detained foreign nationals.
This is particularly relevant when a foreign national or family member needs to arrange legal communication with a person held at Kurubaş.
A Kurubaş Removal Center lawyer may examine:
the deportation decision;
administrative detention decision;
immigration history;
restriction codes;
previous residence or visa status;
notification documents;
family circumstances;
medical or other relevant documentation;
available administrative or judicial remedies.
The appropriate procedure depends on the individual administrative record.
Being held in a removal center and being subject to deportation are closely connected in some cases, but they are not identical legal concepts.
A foreign national may be detained while the competent authorities carry out procedures relating to removal from Türkiye.
At the same time, the person may have legal remedies concerning the deportation decision or administrative detention.
For example, a person held at Tuzla, Arnavutköy or Binkılıç may need an assessment of the exact administrative decisions issued by the relevant authorities.
Similarly, a person held at Kurubaş in Van may need a separate assessment of the deportation and detention documents.
The legal procedure should therefore be based on the actual documents rather than simply on the name of the facility.
A Turkey Removal Center lawyer may begin with a detailed review of the available information.
The review can include:
The lawyer may examine the person's nationality, passport information, previous entries and exits, residence permits and visa history.
If a deportation decision has been issued, the legal basis and notification of the decision may need to be examined.
The grounds stated for administrative detention may be reviewed separately from the deportation decision.
Where relevant, restriction codes recorded in the immigration system may need to be identified and assessed together with the underlying administrative record.
Family relationships, health-related circumstances, education, employment and other legally relevant factors may need to be considered where applicable.
After reviewing the documents, the lawyer can determine whether an administrative application, objection or judicial proceeding may potentially be available.
Turkish immigration legislation provides judicial mechanisms concerning administrative detention.
Where a foreign national is placed in a removal center, the detention decision can be examined to determine whether the statutory conditions and procedural requirements are relevant to the individual case.
Depending on the circumstances, an objection before the competent judicial authority may be considered.
However, an objection does not automatically result in release.
The competent judicial authority evaluates the matter based on the applicable law and the circumstances and evidence of the individual case.
Therefore, no Tuzla Removal Center lawyer, Arnavutköy Removal Center lawyer, Binkılıç Removal Center lawyer or Kurubaş Removal Center lawyer can guarantee that an administrative detention objection will result in release.
Depending on the circumstances, a deportation decision may be subject to judicial review.
The legal assessment may include:
the legal basis of deportation;
the factual grounds relied upon by the administration;
notification of the decision;
procedural requirements;
available evidence;
family circumstances;
medical circumstances where relevant;
applicable statutory exceptions;
international-law considerations;
available judicial remedies.
The applicable deadline and procedure should be determined from the actual decision.
A general online article cannot establish the deadline applicable to every foreign national.
Family members may have difficulty determining what has happened after a relative is transferred to a removal center.
Sometimes the family knows only the person's name and nationality.
In other cases, the family knows that the person is in Istanbul but does not know whether the person is being held at Tuzla, Arnavutköy or Binkılıç.
Similarly, relatives may know that a person is in Van but need confirmation that the person is being held at Kurubaş Removal Center.
Establishing the exact facility can be an important practical step before legal procedures are considered.
Once the location and administrative status are clarified, the relevant documents can be reviewed.
A foreign national held in a removal center may require legal representation concerning one or more administrative decisions.
Depending on the circumstances, legal assistance may include:
reviewing the deportation decision;
reviewing administrative detention;
preparing an objection;
preparing an administrative application;
filing an appropriate judicial proceeding;
reviewing restriction codes;
examining immigration records;
submitting supporting evidence;
following the procedural status of the case.
The appropriate legal route depends on the circumstances.
There is no single procedure that applies to every person held in a Turkish removal center.
Some removal center cases also involve restriction codes.
A restriction code should not be interpreted solely by relying on an online code list.
The underlying administrative decision, the reason for the code, the date of the relevant event and the person's immigration history may all affect its legal significance.
For this reason, a foreign national held at Tuzla, Arnavutköy, Binkılıç or Kurubaş may need an assessment of both the removal center proceedings and any restriction code affecting their immigration status.
A deportation process may have consequences for a foreign national's future entry into Türkiye.
However, deportation, administrative detention and an entry ban are separate legal concepts.
A person who has been detained or deported should therefore determine whether a separate entry restriction exists and what its legal basis may be.
This can be particularly relevant when a foreign national intends to return to Türkiye after leaving the country.
Where appropriate, a separate Turkey Entry Ban Check may be considered.
A removal center legal assessment may require some or all of the following:
passport copy;
identity document;
foreigner identification information;
deportation decision;
administrative detention decision;
notification documents;
residence permit;
visa documents;
previous immigration records;
restriction code information;
court documents;
family documents;
medical documents where relevant;
other correspondence issued by Turkish authorities.
Not every document is required in every case.
The documents necessary for a Turkey Removal Center lawyer depend on the legal issue being examined.
A removal center case can generally be approached through several stages:
| 1. IDENTIFY THE REMOVAL CENTER |
| Tuzla / Arnavutköy / Binkılıç / Kurubaş or Other GGM |
| 2. REVIEW ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS |
| Deportation Decision + Administrative Detention |
| 3. LEGAL ASSESSMENT |
| Examine Available Administrative & Judicial Remedies |
| 4. PROCEDURAL FOLLOW-UP |
| Monitor Applications, Objections or Court Proceedings |
The first step is determining where the foreign national is being held.
In Istanbul, this may involve Tuzla, Arnavutköy or Binkılıç. In Van, the relevant facility may be Kurubaş.
The deportation and administrative detention decisions should be obtained and reviewed where possible.
The applicable provisions of Turkish immigration law are evaluated against the facts and evidence.
Where appropriate, an administrative objection or judicial proceeding may be initiated.
The result and duration of the process cannot be guaranteed.
The Tuzla Removal Center is an Istanbul facility within Türkiye's removal center system. Official immigration administration records identify Tuzla as one of the Istanbul removal center facilities.
Official documentation identifies the Arnavutköy Geri Gönderme Merkezi in Hadımköy, Arnavutköy, Istanbul.
The Binkılıç Geri Gönderme Merkezi is identified in official documentation in the Binkılıç/Çatalca area of Istanbul.
The Kurubaş Geri Gönderme Merkezi is located in Van. The Van Provincial Directorate of Migration Management publishes information concerning visits and meetings at the facility.
The Van Provincial Directorate of Migration Management has published visitor information stating that lawyers and certain family members can visit and meet persons staying at the Kurubaş Geri Gönderme Merkezi according to the specified arrangements.
No. A lawyer cannot guarantee that administrative detention will end or that a foreign national will be released.
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, a deportation decision may be subject to legal review. Whether a particular remedy is available must be assessed from the individual case.
The existence of administrative detention does not by itself determine the ultimate legal outcome. The relevant administrative decisions and circumstances must be examined.
Family members can seek legal assistance concerning a detained relative. The lawyer may require sufficient information and authorization to take procedural action.
If you or a family member is currently held in a Turkish Geri Gönderme Merkezi, the first practical step is to establish the exact facility and understand which administrative decisions have been issued.
For cases involving Tuzla Removal Center, Arnavutköy Removal Center, Binkılıç Removal Center or Kurubaş Removal Center, the legal assessment may involve reviewing administrative detention, deportation proceedings, restriction codes and the foreign national's immigration history.
A Turkey Removal Center lawyer can evaluate the available documents and identify which administrative or judicial procedures may potentially be relevant to the individual case.
The legal position of every foreign national is different. The existence of a deportation decision or administrative detention does not allow a particular outcome to be guaranteed in advance.
No release, deportation cancellation, residence permission, entry permission or court outcome is guaranteed.
The information on this website is provided for general legal information purposes and does not constitute a determination of the legal status of any particular foreign national. Turkish immigration legislation, administrative practice and removal center arrangements may change over time. Current official information should therefore be checked when relying on the location or contact information of a particular removal center.