Human Rights Watch in Turkey said that since the beginning of 2023, Turkey has sent back 9,000 Afghan refugees to Afghanistan.
Ali Hekmat, the director of the Association for the Support of Afghan Refugees in Turkey, claims that between January 1 and the first week of April, the nation deported 29,000 refugees, the bulk of them were 8,780 Afghan and 1,581 Pakistani citizens.
On the eve of the nation’s presidential elections, the deportation of refugees from Turkey has escalated, with Afghan migrants making up the majority. Afghan nationals make up over 5,000 of the more than 18,000 refugees waiting to be deported at the Turkish border.
A study claims that Turkey deports up to a thousand Afghan refugees to their country of origin every week.
Organisations that support asylum seekers’ rights claim that by making the battle against illegal immigration the focal point of his election campaign, President Erdogan is attempting to grab the attention of voters.
There are now more people looking for sanctuary than ever before since the Taliban took control of the nation. Due to persecution, security risks, economic reasons, and a lack of employment, the majority of Afghans leave their country.