Right of asylum

A voluntary, safe and honorable return of Syrian migrants to their homeland is at the center of Turkey's refugee policy, a Turkish official has said, informing that more than half a million Syrians have already settled in their own country as a result of Turkey's efforts.

The European Union is not paying money to the Turkish government, it is supporting the refugees in the country, a top EU official said on Nov. 9.

A Greek journalist has revealed the sad plight of refugees who set foot on the island of Lesbos, from getting treated inhumanely to being beaten, mugged and pushed back to Turkish borders.

There are a total of 1.18 million foreigners in Istanbul, including 535,000 Syrians under temporary protection, Governor Ali Yerlikaya has said.

We are all witnessing the dramatic events affecting Afghanistan and the tragic uncertainty that so many Afghan citizens feel for the future of their country, which currently counts 3 million displaced persons, 550,000 of whom were displaced in 2021.

Yet help is just 500 metres away: on the Polish side, a group of activists has been on standby for days, bringing bags with food, water, medicines and thermal blankets (nights are now cold and it had been raining). But a line of Polish border guards constantly blocks access.

The UN refugee agency is gearing up for as many as half a million people or more to flee from Afghanistan in a "worst-case scenario" in the coming months, AP reports.

UNHCR says the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover last week "remains uncertain and may evolve rapidly," with up to 515,000 new refugees fleeing.

According to her, they all want to continue their journey to Western Europe, primarily Germany.

Nobody should consider Turkey as a refugee camp, the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik said on Aug. 9, elaborating on recent discussions after Afghans started fleeing to Turkey.

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Relations between Brussels and Ankara - already strained by earlier crises over refugees - face an even bigger test as the number of Afghans fleeing westwards rapidly increases.