More than 21,000 refugees expelled from Istanbul
The Istanbul governorate has expelled more than 21,000 refugees from the city in the past month and a half. Turkish officials said Istanbul was at capacity and that refugees who were in the city illegally should leave.
On Tuesday, August 27, the Istanbul Governorship issued a statement announcing that 16,423 refugees who were illegally staying in Istanbul were transferred to refugee deportation centers.
The Istanbul governorate has said that these refugees were living in the city in an uncontrolled manner and should be returned to their countries.
According to Istanbul authorities, more than 4,500 Syrians who have not yet been legally registered as refugees have also been transferred to refugee camps outside the city.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced a week ago that the capacity of the Istanbul metropolitan area has been reached and 500,000 refugees, about 300,000 of whom are Syrians and have registered in various cities in Turkey, will be returned. According to the Turkish Interior Minister, some of these refugees have not yet been legally registered in Turkey.
In late July, the Istanbul governorate notified unregistered Syrian citizens that they must leave the city by August 20 or face forcible deportation to areas where they are registered. This deadline was later extended to October 30.
According to a report by the German news agency, the Istanbul governorship has announced that Syrian refugees who are not legally registered in Turkey will be sent to various provinces in Turkey. Syrian families with children studying in primary schools, students and Syrian employers will be exempted from being sent to various provinces in Türkiye.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says in its latest report that Turkey is the world's largest host of refugees and asylum seekers, with 3.7 million. Most of these refugees are Syrian citizens who have fled the devastating war.
These refugees are living in Türkiye as "guests," but since Türkiye's economic situation has worsened, tensions in society have also increased.
Global human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have recently accused Turkey of using Syrians in war zones including Idlib, but Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has strongly denied the claim.
Source: DW
