The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Turkish authorities detained 25,314 Afghan migrants during the first eight months of the year, making Afghans the largest group of undocumented migrants detained in the country, according to newly released figures from Turkey's Directorate of Migration Management.
Nearly 95,000 undocumented migrants of various nationalities were detained across Turkey during the same period, the agency said. Migrants from Syria, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Morocco, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan and Yemen followed Afghans among the largest groups detained.
The migrants were detained for lacking valid identification documents or residence permits. Turkish immigration authorities did not provide details on what happened to those detained or how many were deported.
Authorities also detained 8,342 people on allegations of migrant smuggling during the same period, according to the figures.
Turkish police and coast guard forces regularly conduct operations against undocumented migration, with Afghan nationals frequently among those detained.
The United Nations previously reported that Turkey deported more than 13,000 Afghan migrants during the first five months of the year.
Turkey remains a major transit route for Afghans seeking to reach Europe, while detentions and deportations of undocumented Afghan migrants continue.
