Türkiye's migration authority announced that 1,028 irregular migrants were deported in the early days of January.
The Presidency of Migration Management said in a Twitter post on Saturday that the country also prevented the entry of 1,889 irregular migrants in the first five days of 2023.
As per authorities, a total of 20,497 irregular migrants remain in repatriation centers, adding that the number of irregular migrants with ongoing procedures stood at 91.
The number of irregular migrants deported from Türkiye in 2022 increased by 149% compared to the same period of the previous year and reached 97,448. While security measures have been increased at the borders to combat irregular migration, irregular migrants who enter Türkiye illegally are deported via chartered and scheduled flights.
Most recently, 227 irregular migrants from Afghanistan who were being held in administrative detention at the Kırklareli Pehlivanköy Removal Center were brought to Istanbul Airport and sent back after security checks under the supervision of law enforcement units. According to official statements, this was the 213th chartered flight to Afghanistan since the beginning of 2022.
Since the beginning of 2022, a total of 55,502 Afghan citizens have been returned, including 40,510 on board 213 charter flights and 14,992 on scheduled flights. Also in 2022, a total of 11,025 irregular migrants were safely returned to Pakistan on two chartered and scheduled flights. The number of irregular migrants deported since the beginning of 2022 has reached 97,448. Compared to the same period last year, the number of migrants deported increased by 149%. Compared to the same period in the previous year, a 206% increase in Afghan nationals, a 28% increase in Pakistani nationals and a 180% increase in foreigners with other nationalities was observed in terms of deportations. In addition, the number of irregular migrants deported since 2016 has reached 422,957. Thanks to Türkiye's effective deportation mechanism, returns are carried out with a rate of success well above the European average. In this context, while Türkiye's deportation success rate was 69%, it was 10% in Europe. Thanks to security measures at the borders, 242,525 irregular migrants were prevented from entering the country in 2022.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and senior Turkish officials have frequently pointed out that, "Türkiye does not have any obligation whatsoever to be a safe haven for Afghan refugees," amid developments following the Taliban takeover in 2021.
Türkiye has been a key transit point for asylum-seekers attempting to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution. Concerns have risen over a spike in migrants from Afghanistan due to the United States' pullout from the country and the subsequent Taliban victory. Türkiye is continuing efforts to bolster the security of its border with Iran to prevent any new migrant wave in the face of recent developments in Afghanistan. The beefed-up border measures in Türkiye, which already hosts nearly 4 million Syrian refugees and is a staging post for many migrants trying to reach Europe, began as the Taliban started advancing in Afghanistan and took over Kabul in 2021.
The country has deployed additional reinforcements to its eastern border with Iran, and new measures are expected to follow. Border security will be boosted by technology to prevent a fresh influx of migrants. Türkiye has made it clear that it will not bear the burden of the migration crises experienced as a result of the decisions of third countries.
Türkiye hosts nearly 5 million refugees – more than any country in the world. After the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, the nation adopted an "open-door policy" for people fleeing the conflict, granting them "temporary protection" status.
Afghans are believed to be the second-largest refugee community in Türkiye after Syrians. Many migrants arriving via Iran head to Istanbul to find work or passage to another coastal city to embark for Europe. The European Union and Western partners have said that Türkiye plays a vital role in preventing illegal crossings of irregular Afghan migrants into Europe.