Tag Archives: Iranian-Turkish border

HarekAct Reporting, News Digest

HarekAct’s Weekly Digest 31/07/2019

22nd – 28th July

People getting deported from Küçükçekmece district, Istanbul .

Update concerning inhumane and unlawful deportations of Syrians | Condemn of deportations across broad range of civil society actors| Anti migrant discourse fueled by many politicians | Tense atmosphere in Istanbul | Turkey suspends readmission agreement with EU | Horrifying conditions at Harmandalı Removal Center | Report of 25 refugees who froze to death at the Turkish-Iranian border

Update concerning inhumane and unlawful deportations of Syrians

Following reports in the previous weeks about mass deportations of Syrians, several journalists and Institutions have published further details about the (ongoing) inhumane and unlawful deportations of Syrians living in Turkey. Rights groups in Istanbul claim that within one week between 600 and 1500 Syrians were wrongfully returned from Istanbul to Syria. It is reported, through discussions on social media and by people with contacts in the communities, that other migrant groups, particularly those who are living and working undocumented in Istanbul are also being targeted.

Condemn of deportations across broad range of civil society actors

Several Human rights organizations have harshly criticized the deportations in public statements.

Continue reading HarekAct’s Weekly Digest 31/07/2019 →
News Digest

Mass Deportations of Afghans from Turkey: Thousands of migrants sent back in a deportation drive

Via Afghanistan Analysts – In a recent television appearance, the Turkish Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu, said that 15,000 Afghans have been sent back home from Turkey. While it is likely that this number has been exaggerated, there is no doubt that in April and May of 2018, thousands of Afghan migrants were sent back on charter flights from Turkey to Kabul. This is the Turkish government’s response after a 400 per cent increase in arrivals of Afghan migrants to Turkey during the first quarter of 2018. In early April of this year, the first charter flight carrying Afghans back to Kabul flew out of Erzurum, a city in eastern Anatolia that has become the centre of these returns. AAN’s guest author Amy Pitonak visited Erzurum to find out first-hand about the situation for Afghans there.

Aşkale Removal Centre in Erzurum. Photo: Amy Pitonak

Continue reading Mass Deportations of Afghans from Turkey: Thousands of migrants sent back in a deportation drive →

News Digest

No Way Out

https://theblacksea.eu/billions-for-borders/public/img/articles/no-way-out/main2.jpg

The European Union is funding military equipment used by Turkey to stop refugees from fleeing the Syrian Civil War and entering the EU

Via The Black Sea -By Zeynep Sentek and Sebnem Arsu.

Under an agreement in March 2016, the EU pledged six billion Euro to Turkey to effectively trap millions of refugees within its country and stop them from entering the European Union.

This is not the only cash from the EU. It also pays Turkey for military equipment which is used at its borders with Syria and Greece to halt those wishing to seek asylum in the 28-member bloc.

An investigation into EU contracts by Politiken and Danwatch (Denmark) in partnership with the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) reveals that EU has supplied Turkey with 83 million Euro in armoured military vehicles and surveillance equipment for what witnesses say is aggressive patrolling of the borders.

These deals also risk the EU being complicit in possible violations of the international rights of refugees. Continue reading No Way Out →

News Digest

Afghans make long trek west before Turkey secures border

Via Hurriyet Daily News (from 19th April) – On a mountainous road leading west from the Iranian border, 22-year-old Sunnatilla Rasulbek trudges through heavy rain, one of tens of thousands of Afghans hoping to find work and security in Turkey before a wall goes up to keep them out.

Already 2,000 km from his home in Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, Rasulbek plans to try to earn some money in eastern Turkey before heading further west to Istanbul in search of a job to support his family back home.

Continue reading Afghans make long trek west before Turkey secures border →

News Digest

Record number of Afghan migrants reaching Eastern Turkey without papers

Via Daily News – Nearly 20,000 undocumented Afghan migrants have arrived in Turkey over the past three months, an unprecedented number according to the latest figures from the General Directorate of Security.

A total of 17,847 undocumented Afghan migrants have been captured by security forces from the beginning of 2018 until March 29.

Record number of Afghan migrants reaching Eastern Turkey without papers

Continue reading Record number of Afghan migrants reaching Eastern Turkey without papers →

News Digest

Migrants: over 5,000 apprehended in Turkey in 7 days

Via ANSA med – Turkish authorities have apprehended over the past week a total of 5,371 migrants and refugees who were trying to illegally cross the borders with the European Union or to enter the country, the Turkish interior ministry has said. They included 389 who were intercepted at sea, it said. The ministry also said that 136 suspected human traffickers were arrested. Continue reading Migrants: over 5,000 apprehended in Turkey in 7 days →

News Digest

79 migrants crossing into Turkey from Iran caught in Artvin

Via CNNTürk (Link in Turkish) – According to information received, 79 migrants – 68 from Afghanistan and 11 from Pakistan – entered Turkey through Iran illegally. They took a bus from Dogubayazit to Artvin and from there wanted to go to different provinces of Turkey, especially to Istanbul. Continue reading 79 migrants crossing into Turkey from Iran caught in Artvin →

News Digest

A truck with ‘illegal’ immigrants caught in Kars

Via Milliyet * – A truckload of illegal immigrants, including women and babies, was caught in Kars trying to escape from security forces. According to the information received, the gendarmerie teams wanted to stop the truck used by Ö.Ç suspected. The truck started to escape and gendarmerie teams were sent to the escape points of the truck. The truck, after a while, came out of the way by security forces and was stuck in the mud. A large number of illegal immigrants with Afghan nationality in the vehicle and organizer A.U. and the driver Ö.Ç was caught. Investigations against them were started.

* Original link in Turkish, the text above is a direct translation from the article.