Afghanistan Youths in Turkey Trapped in Legal Limbo, New Study Finds

DID Press: Large numbers of young Afghans in Turkey are living in a state of legal uncertainty and heightened vulnerability due to the suspension or cancellation of identity documents, legal restrictions, and declining humanitarian assistance. The situation has severely limited their access to basic services and hindered their social integration, revealed a new study.

The study, published by the organization Terre des Hommes, finds that Afghan youths in Turkey face widespread barriers in accessing education, healthcare, employment, housing, and social support. The research is based on six focus group discussions, and the age and gender composition of participants indicates that women made up 76 percent of the group and men 24 percent. Additionally, 58 percent were between 15 and 30 years old, and 42 percent between 31 and 45.

According to the study’s findings, the suspension or revocation of identity documents has placed a large segment of Afghanistan refugees in an undefined legal status—identified as the main obstacle to their social and economic integration. The lack of valid documents limits Afghan youths’ access to medical services, formal education, legal employment, and support programs, exposing them to labor exploitation, job insecurity, and mental health challenges.

Turkey hosts a large Afghan population, with estimates suggesting around 300,000 Afghans currently live in the country, some without proper residence documents. Many of these refugees can only work in low-income, informal jobs and face social discrimination, administrative pressures, detention linked to irregular residency, and a constant fear of deportation.

The report stresses that the current conditions—combined with declining humanitarian aid—are deepening psychological insecurity and social vulnerability among Afghan youths, leaving their future increasingly uncertain.