Over 21,000 Refugees Expelled from Istanbul
Istanbul’s municipal administration has expelled over 21,000 refugees from the city over the past month and a half. Turkish authorities stated that Istanbul’s capacity is full and refugees who are illegally in the city must leave.
On Tuesday, September 5th (August 27th), Istanbul’s municipal administration announced in a statement that 16,423 refugees who were illegally residing in Istanbul have been transferred to refugee deportation centers.
Istanbul’s municipal administration stated that these refugees were living uncontrolled in the city and must be returned to their countries.
According to Istanbul authorities, over 4,500 Syrians who have not legally registered as refugees so far have also been transferred to refugee camps outside the city.
Suleiman Soylu, Turkey’s Interior Minister, announced a week ago that Istanbul’s capacity has been reached and 500,000 refugees, approximately 300,000 of whom are Syrian and registered in various Turkish cities, will be returned. According to Turkey’s Interior Minister, some of these refugees have not legally registered in Turkey to date.
Istanbul’s municipal administration notified Syrian citizens without legal registration in late July that they must leave the city by August 20th, otherwise they will be forcibly sent to areas where they are registered. This deadline was later extended to October 30th.
According to a report by Germany’s news agency, Istanbul’s municipal administration has announced that Syrian refugees who have not legally registered in Turkey will be sent to various Turkish provinces. Syrian families whose children are studying in primary schools, Syrian students, and Syrian employers will be exempted from transfer to various Turkish provinces.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in its latest report states that Turkey ranks first among countries worldwide in accepting 3.7 million displaced persons and refugees. Most of these displaced persons are Syrian citizens who have fled the devastating and destructive war.
These refugees live as “guests” in Turkey, but since Turkey’s economic situation has worsened, tensions in society have also increased.
Global human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, recently accused Turkey of using Syrians in war zones including Idlib. However, Suleiman Soylu, Turkey’s Interior Minister, has strongly denied these allegations.
Source: DW
