Afghan migrants complain of harassment by Turkish border forces
Jun 30, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], June 30 : Afghan migrants who were deported by Turkey have voiced grievances about mistreatment at the hands of Turkish border forces, alleging that they were subjected to physical abuse and torture following their arrest, TOLOnews reported.
One of the affected individuals, Abdul Rahman, aged 24, recounted the harassment experienced by migrants during the deportation process. "They told us you are a son... What are you doing here? I (said) I am obliged to in order to find a piece of bread," he said, according to TOLOnews.
Moreover, TOLOnews interviewed many Afghan deportees from Turkey who claimed to have been beaten by Turkish forces.
"They have beaten us very badly with steel. They broke my feet," said Sarwar, another deportee.
Asifa Stanikzai, a Refugee Rights Activist said, "The refugees are in fact facing problems with job opportunities, resettlement challenges and lack of identification. The Islamic Emirate should pay attention in this regard.'
Zabiullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate's spokesman said that around two million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan within the past two years, as per TOLOnews.
He added that the process of deportation should be done without any harassment.
"The Islamic Emirate is in contact with Turkey about this issue so they treat the Afghan refugees with good behaviour. However, there are also legal issues and (Turkey) doesn't accept refugees," he further said.
Whereas, earlier, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation reported that countries hosting Afghan refugees have violated refugees' rights against Afghans.
