Turkish police have detained 63 Afghan nationals as they were attempting to enter the country in the eastern border province of Hakkari, according to local security authorities. The detainees have been transferred to a removal centre for further processing.
In a statement, the Hakkari Provincial Police Department said security forces also arrested a person suspected of organising the transportation of migrants. The suspect was referred to judicial authorities and transferred to prison following a court ruling.
Police said the 63 Afghan nationals were moved to the city of Ağrı to undergo administrative deportation procedures.
Hakkari, in eastern Turkey along the border with Iran, is one of the routes used by Afghan migrants seeking to enter Turkey. Many travel through Iran before attempting to reach Turkey and, in some cases, continue towards European countries.
Separately, Turkey’s Directorate of Migration Management said that police had detained 33,341 Afghan nationals across the country during the first ten months of the current year. According to the figures released by the agency, Afghans accounted for the largest number of foreign nationals detained in Turkey during that period.
The Hakkari police department said operations against migrant smuggling networks and the illegal transportation of people would continue in cooperation with local residents and security institutions.
The latest arrests highlight the scale of migration enforcement affecting Afghans in Turkey. However, the figures provided do not establish how many of those detained will ultimately be deported, how many may seek protection, or the circumstances behind each detention. The distinction is important, as detention and removal procedures do not by themselves determine an individual’s protection needs or legal status.
