Afghan Migrants in Turkey Under Threat of Deportation

Mohammed Babai is one of the thousands of Afghans who have entered Turkey illegally since 2019 in search of a better life. He crossed into Turkey from Iran; a path many use hoping to reach Europe.

“There was no economy, no jobs, nothing,” said Mohammed Babai. “There were 40 years of war, we had nothing left. There is nothing in Afghanistan. We came here to work. I wanted to go to Germany from here. I couldn’t; I stayed in Turkey.”

He has been living in a small village in eastern Turkey for the past three years. Even though he has a low-paying job at a dairy farm, he has been able to send some money to his family in Afghanistan.

Read the full transcript

But Babai says he lives in constant fear of deportation.

“I avoid going to the city center unnecessarily,” said Babai. “I go when I have something important to do but I don’t linger around. As soon as I am done, I return.”

Even though Turkey hosts around 4 million refugees, mostly Syrians under temporary protection, it formally accepts only refugees from Council of Europe member states. Undocumented Afghans risk deportation since Ankara does not legally recognize them as refugees.

Turkey reportedly boosted the number of deportations in late January when flights resumed between Turkey and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Turkish media report that from late January to mid-June, Turkey deported at least 21,000 Afghans. Babai says several of his friends were among those deported.

Experts say some Afghans in Turkey are being returned against their will, including those previously targeted by the Taliban.

“Complaints have been received that Afghans held in the Deportation Center were forced to sign deportation documents,” said Ayse Kaymak, Izmir Bar Association. “This was confirmed when we went to the Deportation Center and interviewed foreigners.”

The deportation issue is a key political issue as Turkey prepares for parliamentary and president elections next year.

Opposition parties in Turkey are promising to deport the approximately 4 million refugees who live in the country, including 3.7 million Syrians who have temporary protection in Turkey.

Babai does not want to go back to Afghanistan. He says, the Taliban have left nothing for him there. He says the Turkish government should not target Afghan refugees like him for deportation.

“There are good and bad ones among Afghans,” said Babai. “They should send back those who do not work. Let those who work, work. There is no problem. This would be in Turkey’s benefit. I want to stay; I want to work because there is war in our place. Since the Taliban took over, all our people have fled. There is nothing left, we cannot go there.”