Can foreigners receive medical treatment while held in a removal center in Turkey in 2026? Learn about healthcare rights, emergency and primary healthcare, hospital referrals, medication, chronic illnesses, pregnancy, mental health, Article 55 protection and health-based release applications.

Yes. Foreigners held under administrative detention in Turkish removal centers have a legal right to access healthcare services.

Article 59 of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection expressly provides that emergency and primary healthcare services that the foreigner cannot afford must be provided in removal centers.

The Presidency of Migration Management also states that foreigners undergo health checks before admission to and upon departure from removal centers and have access to healthcare throughout their stay. Removal centers employ healthcare personnel and also provide psychosocial support.

However, healthcare access and the legality of continued administrative detention are two separate questions. If a foreigner’s medical condition becomes sufficiently serious, it may also affect whether detention or removal can lawfully continue.

What Healthcare Rights Do Foreigners Have in Removal Centers?

Article 59 regulates services that must be provided to foreigners held in removal centers.

Among these services are emergency and primary healthcare services where the foreigner cannot cover the cost.

In practice, medical needs can range from relatively routine treatment to serious conditions requiring hospital examination or specialist care.

A foreigner should therefore not assume that being administratively detained means losing access to medical treatment.

Are Foreigners Examined When They Enter a Removal Center?

Official Migration Management information states that irregular migrants undergo health checks before being brought to a removal center and also when leaving the center. It further states that healthcare services are available throughout the period of stay.

This initial medical assessment can be particularly important where the foreigner already has:

• A chronic disease,
• Pregnancy,
• Disability,
• Recent surgery,
• Serious psychiatric illness,
• Infectious disease,
• Regular medication requirements,
• Previous hospitalization.

Existing medical documents should be presented as early as possible.

Can a Foreigner Request Medical Treatment After Entering the Removal Center?

Yes.

Medical needs may arise or change during detention.

A foreigner may:

• Become ill after admission,
• Experience worsening chronic disease,
• Develop new symptoms,
• Require medication,
• Need specialist examination,
• Experience pregnancy complications,
• Require psychological or psychiatric assistance.

The medical condition should be reported promptly to the healthcare personnel or responsible authorities in the removal center.

Are Only Emergency Conditions Treated?

No.

Article 59 refers to both emergency and primary healthcare services that the foreigner cannot afford.

Official Migration Management information more broadly states that foreigners in removal centers have access to healthcare services throughout their stay.

The exact treatment pathway will depend on the person’s condition.

Can a Foreigner Be Taken to a Hospital?

Where the person’s medical condition requires examination or treatment beyond what can appropriately be provided inside the removal center, hospital assessment may become necessary.

A hospital visit, however, should not automatically be confused with release from administrative detention.

A foreigner may be transported for medical treatment while the administrative detention decision remains legally in force.

Accordingly, families should determine whether the foreigner has:

been transferred temporarily for treatment

or

formally released from administrative detention.

These are legally different situations.

Does Hospitalization Automatically End Administrative Detention?

No.

Hospitalization and termination of administrative detention are separate issues.

A foreigner can require inpatient medical treatment while still remaining legally subject to an administrative detention decision.

If the health condition also makes continued detention unnecessary or inappropriate, a separate administrative or judicial challenge to detention may be required.

Can Foreigners Continue Their Regular Medication?

Medication requirements should be brought to the attention of healthcare personnel immediately.

Where possible, the foreigner or family should provide:

• Medication name,
• Prescription,
• Dosage information,
• Previous medical report,
• Diagnosis,
• Treatment history.

This can be especially important for medication that should not be suddenly discontinued.

Foreigners with chronic illnesses should not rely only on verbally explaining their previous treatment where documentary evidence can be obtained.

What About Chronic Diseases?

Chronic medical conditions may require continuous monitoring.

Examples can include:

• Diabetes,
• Hypertension,
• Heart disease,
• Epilepsy,
• Kidney disease,
• Respiratory disorders,
• Neurological conditions,
• Cancer,
• Autoimmune diseases.

The existence of a chronic illness does not automatically require release from the removal center.

However, its severity, treatment requirements and the effect of detention may become relevant to whether continued administrative detention remains necessary.

Can Foreigners Receive Mental Health Treatment?

Mental health needs are also important.

Official Migration Management information states that removal centers include psychologists and social-service specialists and that psychosocial support forms part of the services provided.

A foreigner experiencing serious psychological or psychiatric symptoms should therefore request assessment rather than remaining silent about the condition.

Relevant conditions may include severe anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, depression, psychiatric disorders or other conditions requiring professional treatment.

What If the Foreigner Was Previously Receiving Psychiatric Treatment?

Previous records should be obtained where possible.

Useful evidence can include:

• Psychiatric reports,
• Prescriptions,
• Hospital records,
• Previous diagnoses,
• Therapy records,
• Medication history.

A sudden interruption of established psychiatric treatment can be medically significant and should be brought to the attention of healthcare professionals.

What Healthcare Rights Do Pregnant Foreigners Have?

Pregnant foreigners should have their pregnancy and medical needs documented as early as possible.

Relevant information can include:

• Pregnancy week,
• Expected delivery date,
• High-risk pregnancy status,
• Previous complications,
• Required medication,
• Prenatal monitoring schedule,
• Hospital recommendations.

Pregnancy can also have immigration-law consequences beyond ordinary healthcare access.

Article 55 provides protection where a foreigner would face risks during travel because of pregnancy.

Therefore, pregnancy-related medical evidence may be relevant both to healthcare and to removal proceedings.

What If the Pregnancy Is High-Risk?

A high-risk pregnancy requires particularly careful documentation.

The foreigner or lawyer should obtain current medical evidence addressing issues such as:

• Risk of miscarriage,
• Premature birth,
• Bleeding,
• Preeclampsia,
• Placental complications,
• Need for hospitalization,
• Travel restrictions,
• Required specialist monitoring.

If travel itself would create a risk because of pregnancy, Article 55 may become applicable.

What If the Foreigner Has a Life-Threatening Illness?

This can fundamentally affect the deportation proceedings.

Article 55 provides that a removal decision must not be issued against a foreigner who is undergoing treatment for a life-threatening health condition where the necessary treatment cannot be received in the country to which the person would be returned.

Therefore, the legal analysis should examine:

1. How serious is the illness?
2. What treatment is currently being provided?
3. Is interruption medically dangerous?
4. Can the required treatment actually be obtained in the destination country?

A general statement that healthcare is better in Turkey is not the same as establishing the statutory condition.

Can Serious Illness Prevent Travel?

Yes, in specified circumstances.

Article 55 also protects foreigners who would face risks in the event of travel because of a serious health condition, age or pregnancy.

A medical report should therefore address fitness to travel where this issue arises.

For example, it may be important to establish whether the foreigner:

• Can safely travel by air,
• Requires continuous medical monitoring,
• Requires oxygen,
• Recently underwent major surgery,
• Is medically unstable,
• Requires uninterrupted hospital treatment.

Does Article 55 Automatically Apply to Every Sick Foreigner?

No.

Article 55 contains specific statutory conditions.

The Presidency of Migration Management states that whether a foreigner falls within Article 55 must be assessed individually.

Accordingly:

illness ≠ automatic protection from removal.

The medical evidence must establish the relevant statutory circumstances.

Can Health Problems Lead to Release from the Removal Center?

Potentially, yes.

Administrative detention must remain necessary throughout its duration.

The governorate must review the need for continued detention every month and can conduct an earlier review where necessary. If administrative detention is no longer necessary, it must be terminated immediately.

A significant deterioration in health can therefore be an important changed circumstance.

Can a Lawyer Request Release Because of Medical Problems?

Yes.

A lawyer can present medical evidence and argue that continued administrative detention is no longer justified.

Depending on the case, the application may include:

• Current medical reports,
• Hospital records,
• Specialist reports,
• Prescriptions,
• Treatment schedule,
• Evidence of deterioration during detention,
• Fixed-address documentation,
• Family-care arrangements,
• Proposed outpatient treatment.

The legal argument should connect the medical evidence directly to the necessity of continued detention.

Can Administrative Detention Be Challenged in Court?

Yes.

The foreigner, legal representative or lawyer may challenge administrative detention before the Judge of the Criminal Court of Peace.

The judge must finalize the assessment within five days. Filing the challenge itself does not automatically suspend administrative detention.

This procedure is separate from a lawsuit challenging the underlying removal decision.

Can Another Challenge Be Filed If the Medical Condition Worsens?

Yes.

Where the circumstances supporting administrative detention no longer exist or have changed, another review can be requested.

This is particularly important in medical cases.

A detention challenge rejected several weeks earlier may need to be reconsidered if the foreigner later:

• Requires surgery,
• Is hospitalized,
• Receives a serious diagnosis,
• Develops pregnancy complications,
• Experiences major psychiatric deterioration,
• Requires treatment unavailable within the detention setting.

New medical evidence should be submitted promptly.

Can Reporting Obligations Replace Detention?

Potentially.

When administrative detention is no longer considered necessary, it must be terminated. The foreigner may then be required to reside at a specified address and report to the authorities in the manner and at the intervals determined by the administration.

For a person requiring continuing medical care, a genuine fixed address can help demonstrate that treatment and immigration supervision can potentially continue outside the removal center.

Can a Humanitarian Residence Permit Become Relevant?

Potentially.

Article 55 cases may have consequences beyond release from detention.

Migration Management states that foreigners falling within Article 55 may be issued a humanitarian residence permit under Article 46 and may be required to live at a specified address and report periodically.

Humanitarian residence is not automatically granted to every foreigner with a medical problem.

The statutory conditions must be examined individually.

What If the Foreigner Is a Victim of Serious Violence?

Article 55 also protects victims of serious psychological, physical or sexual violence until their treatment is completed.

This may be particularly relevant where the foreigner has suffered:

• Domestic violence,
• Sexual assault,
• Torture,
• Serious physical abuse,
• Severe psychological trauma.

Medical, psychological and forensic documentation can be extremely important.

What About Victims of Human Trafficking?

Article 55 separately protects victims of human trafficking who are supported through the victim-assistance programme.

Where trafficking indicators exist, the case should therefore be examined as a protection matter rather than merely as an irregular-migration case.

Can Family Members Provide Medical Records?

Where permitted and practically possible, family members can help the lawyer and authorities obtain existing medical records and treatment information.

Useful records may include:

• Previous hospital reports,
• Prescriptions,
• Imaging results,
• Laboratory reports,
• Surgery reports,
• Disability documentation,
• Medication lists.

This can be especially valuable when the foreigner was detained unexpectedly and entered the removal center without medication or records.

What If Necessary Treatment Is Delayed?

The problem should be documented promptly.

Depending on the circumstances, useful evidence can include:

• Written medical requests,
• Referral records,
• Hospital appointments,
• Specialist recommendations,
• Prescription records,
• Evidence of interrupted medication,
• Records showing deterioration.

Where a serious medical need is involved, the lawyer should assess both access to treatment and whether continued administrative detention remains legally justified.

What If Treatment Is Available but Detention Makes the Condition Worse?

This can still be relevant.

The legal issue is not limited to whether some medical service exists.

A serious deterioration associated with detention may affect the ongoing necessity and proportionality of administrative detention.

Current specialist evidence is usually much more useful than general statements that detention is stressful or uncomfortable.

What Medical Documents Are Most Important?

Depending on the case, the file may include:

1. Current specialist medical report.
2. Hospital records.
3. Diagnosis documents.
4. Prescriptions.
5. Medication history.
6. Laboratory results.
7. Imaging reports.
8. Surgery records.
9. Psychiatric or psychological reports.
10. Pregnancy records.
11. Disability documentation.
12. Fitness-to-travel report.
13. Treatment plan.
14. Hospital referral records.
15. Evidence concerning treatment availability in the destination country.

The evidence should be current and specific whenever possible.

Does Receiving Medical Treatment Cancel the Deportation Decision?

No.

Receiving healthcare inside or outside a removal center does not automatically cancel a removal decision.

Three separate questions may exist:

Healthcare: What treatment must the foreigner receive?

Administrative detention: Does the foreigner still need to remain detained?

Removal: Can the foreigner lawfully be removed from Turkey?

Each question requires separate legal analysis.

Can a Foreigner Challenge the Removal Decision on Medical Grounds?

Yes, where the medical circumstances affect the legality of removal.

Article 55 protections are particularly important in this context. Migration Management confirms that Article 55 assessments must be conducted individually.

Medical evidence should therefore be submitted promptly if the foreigner faces a serious travel risk or another Article 55 condition.

2026 Current Legal Position

Under the legal framework applicable in 2026, foreigners held in Turkish removal centers have access to healthcare.

Article 59: Emergency and primary healthcare services that the foreigner cannot afford must be provided in removal centers.

Healthcare throughout detention: Migration Management states that foreigners undergo health checks before admission and upon departure and benefit from healthcare services throughout their stay.

Psychosocial support: Removal centers employ healthcare workers, psychologists and social-service specialists and provide psychosocial support.

Serious medical conditions: Article 55 can prevent removal where travel creates risks because of serious health conditions, age or pregnancy.

Life-threatening treatment: Article 55 also protects a person receiving treatment for a life-threatening condition where the required treatment cannot be obtained in the destination country.

Detention review: The necessity of administrative detention must be reviewed monthly and detention must end immediately when it is no longer necessary.

Judicial review: Administrative detention can be challenged before the Judge of the Criminal Court of Peace, which must finalize its assessment within five days.

The practical approach is therefore:

Report the medical condition immediately → obtain current medical records → ensure necessary treatment and medication are documented → obtain specialist assessment where needed → determine whether travel creates a medical risk → assess Article 55 protection → examine whether continued detention remains necessary → challenge detention where appropriate → propose a fixed address and treatment plan if release is sought.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can foreigners receive medical treatment in Turkish removal centers?

Yes. Article 59 provides for emergency and primary healthcare services that detained foreigners cannot afford.

2. Are foreigners medically examined when entering a removal center?

Official Migration Management information states that health checks are conducted before admission and upon departure, and healthcare is available throughout the stay.

3. Can a detained foreigner be taken to a hospital?

Where medical needs require hospital or specialist treatment, external medical assessment may become necessary. A hospital transfer does not itself mean that administrative detention has legally ended.

4. Can a foreigner continue regular medication?

Medical and medication needs should be reported immediately, preferably with prescriptions and previous medical records.

5. Can serious illness lead to release from a removal center?

Potentially. If continued administrative detention is no longer necessary, it must be terminated. Serious new medical circumstances can be relevant to that assessment.

6. Can pregnancy affect deportation?

Yes. Article 55 protects a foreigner where travel would create a risk because of pregnancy.

7. Can a life-threatening illness prevent removal?

Potentially. Article 55 applies where a foreigner is undergoing treatment for a life-threatening condition and cannot receive the necessary treatment in the destination country.

8. Can administrative detention be challenged because of deteriorating health?

Yes. Administrative detention can be challenged before the Judge of the Criminal Court of Peace, and changed circumstances can support further review.

9. Does hospitalization automatically cancel administrative detention?

No. Hospital treatment and formal termination of administrative detention are separate matters.

10. Can humanitarian residence become relevant because of serious health problems?

Potentially. Foreigners falling within Article 55 may be considered for humanitarian residence under the applicable framework.

Legal Assistance for Medical Problems in Turkish Removal Centers

Foreigners held in removal centers retain healthcare rights, and serious medical conditions can also affect administrative detention and deportation proceedings.

Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office provides legal assistance to foreign nationals and their families in removal-center and deportation proceedings.

Lawyer Fırat Fesih Kaya assists with healthcare-related detention issues, health-based release applications, Article 55 protection, administrative detention challenges, deportation lawsuits, alternatives to detention and humanitarian residence matters.

Phone: +90 312 434 22 22
Mobile: +90 532 769 22 22
Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr
Address: Mevlana Boulevard No:221, Yıldırım Tower No:148, 06520 Balgat, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey

This publication is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Medical cases involving removal centers require individual assessment of the foreigner’s diagnosis, treatment requirements, detention decision, removal decision, travel risk and current medical evidence.