Deputy minister of migration tells Turkish envoy deportation is not the solution

Afghanistan’s deputy minister of migration has met with Turkey’s ambassador to Kabul and said deporting Afghan migrants is not a permanent solution, and that Ankara should instead take in workers on an official quota basis.

Mohammad Arsla Kharouti told the Turkish envoy Cihad Erginay that as migrants are deported, another group enters Turkey illegally.

Kharouti said that Erginay promised to investigate problems Afghan migrants are facing in Turkey and that plans would be drawn up for an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) delegation from the ministry to visit Turkey in the near future.

This comes amid an accelerated process of deportation and forced returns of Afghan migrants from Turkey in the past few months. In the past year, Turkey has deported more than 57,000 illegal Afghan migrants.

Turkey however remains the most popular overland route for Afghan migrants seeking refuge in Europe. Currently, Turkey hosts about 300,000 Afghans.