Turkey deports over 15,000 refugees to Syria in April
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Turkish authorities deported more than 15,700 Syrian refugees to Syria in April, sources said on Wednesday.
Sources in four border crossings on the Syrian-Turkish border revealed to North Press that Turkey deported more than 15,700 Syrian refugees to Syria.
A source in the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in the north of Idlib, northwestern Syria, said around 7,400 individuals, including women and children, were deported to Idlib.
Moreover, a source in the border crossing of Bab al-Salama in the northern countryside of Aleppo said over 4,500 refugees were deported.
Meanwhile, a source in the Tel Abyad border crossing in the north of Raqqa, said around 1,800 individuals were deported.
A source in the Jarablus border crossing in the northeast of Aleppo said Turkish authorities deported over 2,000 Syrian refugees after forcing them into signing voluntary return documents.
In February, Turkish authorities forcibly deported over 18,000 Syrian refugees to northern Syria.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report that Turkey is forcibly deporting Syrian refugees to Tel Abyad where they face deteriorating humanitarian conditions. The report revealed the administration of the border crossing labeled all Syrian returnees as voluntary between January and June 2023.
“Türkiye’s ‘voluntary’ returns are often coerced returns to ‘safe zones’ that are pits of danger and despair,” said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at HRW.