Turkey Detains 9,000 Afghan Migrants in First 3 Months of 2026

DID Press: Ministry of Interior of Turkey announced that during the first three months of 2026, approximately 9,000 Afghan migrants were detained in Turkey due to the absence of legal residency documents.

According to the report, these individuals were identified and arrested during monitoring and enforcement operations conducted by security forces across various cities throughout the country.

Turkish authorities emphasized that the ongoing measures are part of broader efforts to combat illegal residence and regulate the status of migrants within Turkey.

Official statistics further indicate that since 2021, more than 370,000 Afghan citizens have been detained in Turkey. In total, the number of undocumented migrants arrested during this period has exceeded 1.1 million people.

At the same time, the forced return of Afghan migrants from regional countries—particularly Iran and Pakistan—has continued, raising concerns about the overall condition of migrants.

Reports indicate that many migrants face serious economic and livelihood challenges after returning to Afghanistan. According to migrants themselves, unless economic conditions improve, the trend of risky migration journeys is likely to persist.

Several Afghan migrants also stated that limited job opportunities, high living costs, and delays in wage payments forced them to leave their country. They stressed that despite the dangers associated with migration routes, the lack of viable alternatives compelled them to take this path.

With the continuation of these trends, concerns are steadily increasing about the future of Afghan migrants and the challenges they face both in host countries and after returning home.