18 Afghan migrants detained in Turkey
Turkish police on Tuesday detained 18 Afghan migrants who were found hidden inside a cargo truck carrying dates and pistachio oil in the central province of Tokat, local media and officials reported.
The migrants were believed to have entered Turkey irregularly through the Iranian border before being transported deeper into the country by suspected smuggling networks, according to the report. Turkey remains a major transit route for Afghans and other migrants trying to reach Europe.
Police also detained the truck driver and referred him to judicial authorities on suspicion of migrant smuggling, while the Afghan nationals were taken into custody for administrative processing.
After the initial procedures, the detained migrants were transferred to a removal centre in Tokat, where deportation proceedings are expected to continue under Turkey’s migration laws.
The case comes as Turkish authorities continue nationwide operations targeting undocumented migration, particularly involving Afghan nationals, who remain one of the largest groups detained in recent years.
Turkey’s Interior Ministry has said 22,876 irregular migrants were apprehended nationwide by early March this year, with Afghans among the biggest national groups stopped by security forces.
Official data and past ministry statements show Turkey has sharply intensified deportation and anti-smuggling operations in recent years, with hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants removed or processed since 2021.
The latest Tokat case underscores the continued risks facing Afghan migrants on irregular routes through Turkey, even as Ankara expands enforcement, detention and deportation measures.
The post 18 Afghan migrants detained in Turkey appeared first on Khaama Press.