Turkey Detains 12 Afghan Migrants Over Illegal Entry

DID Press: Turkish authorities have detained 12 Afghan nationals in southeastern Şırnak Province on charges of illegal entry, while two Turkish citizens were arrested on suspicion of involvement in a migrant-smuggling network.

According to Turkish officials, the operation was carried out as part of ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration and human trafficking along the country’s eastern border.

Authorities said the two suspected smugglers have been referred to prosecutors for judicial proceedings, while the Afghan migrants were transferred to immigration authorities to undergo administrative procedures.

Officials also imposed administrative fines totaling approximately $13,000 on the detained migrants and the suspected smugglers, although they did not disclose how the penalties were allocated.

According to data from Türkiye’s Directorate General of Migration Management, 19,574 Afghan nationals were detained on charges of irregular migration during the first six months of the current year, making Afghans the largest group of irregular migrants apprehended in the country during that period.