Over 101,000 illegal migrants deported so far in 2022
TÜRKİYE has deported over 101,000 irregular migrants so far this year, up 152% from the same period last year, according to official figures released Saturday.
A total of 101,574 irregular migrants were deported since the beginning of the year, said the Turkish Interior Ministry’s Presidency of Migration Management in a statement, highlighting that the number of those deported increased by 152% compared to the same period in 2021.
The number of deportations rose by 212% for Afghan nationals, 32% for Pakistanis and 190% for other nationalities, it read.
With the recent official figures, the number of irregular migrants deported since 2016 has reached 427,083. Some 248,727 irregular migrants were barred from entering Türkiye this year, while the total figure since 2016 exceeded 2.7 million.
According to the statement, the attempts to enter the country illegally from the eastern and southern borders decreased by 36% compared to the previous year, thanks to the measures Türkiye has taken.
This year, Türkiye sent back over 57,000 Afghan citizens to their country, with 41,185 of them on 217 chartered flights and 15,989 others through scheduled flights, the statement said.
A total of 11,195 other irregular migrants were safely sent to Pakistan with two chartered flights, along with scheduled flights.
According to the statement, Türkiye, which has been under intense irregular migration pressure in recent years, is “performing returns with a success well above the European average.”
Although a total of 696,035 irregular migrants were detected in EU countries last year, the statement added, only 73,030 of them were deported, so the average deportation success rate of European countries was 10%.
Currently, deportation procedures for 18,773 foreigners from 103 different nationalities – 5,203 from Afghanistan, 4,224 from Pakistan and 9,346 other nationalities – are still underway, the statement said.
Türkiye also increased the number of repatriation centers to 30 with a capacity of 20,540, it underscored.
Türkiye has been a key transit point for asylum-seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution. Concerns have risen over a spike in migrants from Afghanistan because of the United States’ pullout from the country and the following Taliban victory.
Amid developments following the Taliban takeover of the rule in the country last year, 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.”
Türkiye is continuing efforts to bolster the security of its border with Iran to prevent any new migrant wave in the face of the 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 last year.
Türkiye has deployed additional reinforcements to its eastern border with Iran, and new measures are expected to be applied. Technological systems will support border security to prevent a fresh influx of migrants. Türkiye has clarified that it will not bear the burden of the migration crises experienced because 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, Türkiye adopted an “open-door policy” for people fleeing the conflict, granting them “temporary protection” status.
Afghans are believed to be the secondlargest refugee community in Türkiye after Syrians. Many of the migrants arriving via Iran are heading for Istanbul to find work or passage to another coastal city from which to embark for Europe. European Union and Western partners have said that Türkiye would play a vital role in preventing the illegal crossing of irregular Afghan migrants into Europe.