Turkey’s Migration Authority has announced that security forces in the country detained 19,574 Afghan nationals during the first six months of 2026 for lacking legal residency documents. According to the published figures, Afghan nationals represent the largest group among migrants detained in Turkey.
On Friday, July 10, Turkey’s Migration Authority stated that nearly 70,000 undocumented migrants from various countries were detained in the country during the first half of the current year.
According to the figures, after Afghan nationals, citizens of Syria, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Morocco, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, and Yemen made up the largest groups of detained migrants.
The Turkish Migration Authority did not provide further details regarding the status of those detained, including the number of individuals who were deported or released. The authority also reported that more than 6,000 people were arrested during the same period on charges related to human trafficking.
In recent years, Turkey has intensified its measures to control irregular migration. Police and coast guard forces regularly conduct operations in cities and border areas to identify and detain migrants without valid documentation, with Afghan nationals constituting a significant portion of those affected.
According to a report by the United Nations, Turkey deported more than 13,000 Afghan nationals during the first five months of the current year. However, Turkish authorities have not yet released the final number of deportations carried out during the first six months of the year.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
