Turkish Police Detain Over 33,000 Afghan Refugees in First 10 Months of 2024
Turkey’s Directorate of Migration has announced that Turkish police detained more than 33,000 Afghan refugees across various regions during the first ten months of 2024. This figure places Afghans at the top among foreign detainees in Turkey.
According to the published data, the total number of foreign detainees without residence permits during this period exceeded 120,000. Following Afghans, citizens from Syria, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran were the next most frequently detained groups.
The Directorate of Migration has not provided detailed information on the fate of these individuals or the number of deportations. However, the agency reported that more than 11,000 people were also detained on human trafficking charges.
Despite widespread detentions, the Turkish government has not officially released clear statistics on the number of Afghan migrants deported, and refugee support organizations lack precise figures.
Previously, the United Nations reported that more than 13,000 Afghan nationals were deported from Turkey during the first five months of this year, a figure indicating increased pressure on Afghan refugees in the country.
