Türkiye has deported 57,174 Afghan “irregular migrants” back to Afghanistan since the beginning of this year, according to the country’s Ministry of Interior. This current trend suggests an increase of 212 percent compared to the same period in 2021.
The migrants have been sent back on chartered and scheduled flights to Afghanistan.
The Turkish Interior Ministry’s Presidency of Migration Management said in a statement on Saturday, November 12, that Türkiye has sent 101,574 irregular migrants from different nationalities – including Afghan migrants – back to their countries.
This recent statistic shows a 152 percent increase in the overall number of deportees from Türkiye compared to the same period in 2021.
Citing the statement, the Anadolu news agency said that the deportation percentage rose by 212% for Afghan nationals, 32% for Pakistanis, and 190% for other nationalities.
With the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the worsening economic situation, Iran, Pakistan, Türkiye, and other countries have faced a continued exodus of Afghan migrants.
The Afghan migrants often choose Türkiye hoping to cross into Europe in search of western style prosperity. The smuggling routes for these migrants have often been perilous and caused many to lose their lives or be subjected to harsh punishment by the Turkish police.
Video footage circulated on social media a few days earlier from the date of these recent announcements purportedly shows migrants being tortured under a rock. Similar viral footage shows an unidentified individual dismembering the ear of an “illegal” migrant in the border areas between Iran and Türkiye.
