At Least 18 Afghan Refugees Detained in Turkey's Edirne During Illegal Crossing Attempt

At least 18 Afghan refugees were detained by border forces in Edirne, Turkey, while attempting an illegal crossing toward Europe. Following administrative procedures, they were transferred to the local migration directorate for deportation.

Edirne is one of the main border crossings from Turkey to Europe, often chosen by refugees seeking entry into European countries. Turkish police stated that monitoring efforts against illegal migration continue without interruption.

According to statistics from the Turkish Migration Directorate, more than 152,000 undocumented migrants, including 42,000 Afghans, were detained over the past year. In the month of Jadi alone, 3,053 Afghan refugees were detained.

Abdulmatlib Haqqani, spokesperson for the Taliban's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, said on Friday, 17 Dalwa, during an interview with state media that 254,218 individuals had been deported individually, separate from families. He added that 5,310 families were deported from Iran, 39 from Turkey, and 3,648 Afghan migrants were deported from Pakistan after serving prison terms.

Ahmadullah Waseeq, spokesperson for the Taliban's Refugees Commission, stated on 29 Jadi that over 1.7 million Afghan migrants had been deported from Iran and Pakistan in the past six months. International organizations have warned of the "disastrous consequences" of forced deportations of Afghan migrants.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR announced in late Qaus that at least 2.8 million Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan in 2025, with 1.8 million from Iran and 930,000 from Pakistan.

Taliban's Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Abdul Kabir recently met with the UNHCR commissioner and requested increased cash and food aid for returnees. UNHCR stated that conditions in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are not safe for returning migrants, citing challenges such as first-time returnees, families left behind, property in Pakistan, rising rents, limited job opportunities, lack of basic services, identity documents, and education. Returning women and girls face specific restrictions in daily life.

A Pakistani newspaper reported that police in Jhelum, Punjab, have intensified actions against Afghan migrants, transferring them to designated camps and warning against renting housing or vehicles to undocumented Afghans. Police officer Tariq Aziz Sindhu said Punjab government orders are being enforced.