Turkey to Deport Some 600 Afghan Migrants

Turkish authorities will deport close to 600 Afghan migrants in eastern Turkey back to Kabul this weekend, Turkish interior ministry said yesterday.
The Afghan migrants had crossed into Turkey through Iran due to “ongoing terrorist activities and economic troubles” in Afghanistan, the ministry said, and security forces had handed the migrants over to provincial immigration authorities.
It said deportation procedures had been completed for 591 migrants in the eastern province of Erzurum and that charter flights to Kabul would be arranged on Saturday and Sunday to send the migrants back.
“Following the completion of deportation procedures for illegal migrants in our other provinces, deportations will speed up and continue in the coming days,” the ministry said in a statement.
Rights groups have criticised Turkey for deporting migrants back to conflict-torn countries, including Afghanistan, saying it was putting their lives at risk.
Turkey hosts more than 4.5 million migrants including 3.2 million Syrian refugees according to the Turkish Interior Ministry.
The nation is a key stop for people fleeing war or poverty in the Middle East and Asia seeking to reach Europe via Greece and the Balkans.