Amnesty International called on all countries in a statement released on Wednesday to stop forcibly returning Afghans to Turkey or Iran, where Afghan migrants face detention, torture, other ill-treatment, and, refoulement to Afghanistan.
According to a statement made by Amnesty International today, Afghans who attempt to cross the borders of Iran and Turkey in search of protection and refuge have frequently been turned away by security officials, who have also opened fire violently on men, women, and children.
Afghan migrants who manage to get into Iran or Turkey are routinely arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and otherwise mistreated before being “unlawfully and forcibly” deported.
Iranian and Turkish authorities have also forcibly utilized firearms as a kind of pushback and intimidation against Afghans, denying them the chance to request international protection, according to the statement.
48 of the 74 Afghans Amnesty International spoke with who had been turned away from Iran and Turkey claimed they had been fired at while trying to cross the borders.
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have left the country since the Taliban took over in August 2021
More than 180,000 Afghans in need of international protection have entered neighboring nations since January 1, 2021, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency; however, the actual number of Afghans in need of international protection is presumably far higher.
