Since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011, there have been 3.6 million Syrians living in Turkey under temporary protection. Beginning around 2018, there have been waves of deportations of Syrian refugees from Turkey, but the recent surge in forcible deportations has been particularly intense. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 3,500 Syrian refugees have been forcibly deported by Turkish authorities since early July. The forced deportation campaign waged by Turkey has also incited violence and rioting against Syrians living in Turkey. The Turkish Immigration Directorate has been given the sole authority to resolve legal issues faced by Syrian refugees, which has effectively prevented the Syrian refugee population from being able to maintain and protect their rights via Turkey’s judicial bodies. (Syrian network for human rights) 

I spoke with war photojournalist Mustafa Kara Ali, who has been in contact with Syrian refugees in Turkey, including some who have been deported to Syria. He explained that many of the people he spoke to held temporary residence cards in Turkey, yet were still deported. He described the treatment of Syrian refugees in deportation facilities as being inhumane, noting that he heard from several refugees that they were verbally harassed and physically harmed by guards. Furthermore, according to Mr.Kara Ali, several individuals he spoke to explained that they were physically forced by Turkish guards to sign voluntary return forms affirming that they had left the country of their own volition, and were also coerced into recording videos conveying the same message. Many of the deportation facilities have also allegedly turned off the cameras within the camps, permitting the guards to carry out violence against the refugees without any record of doing so. While the Turkish government has attempted to illustrate to the international community that Syria is safe now, Mr. Kara Ali suggests that it is far from that. He mentions that there is still shelling and bombing occurring, failing health and education systems, and there is no stability or official government.  Al-Qaeda controls parts of northwestern Syria, the Free Syrian Army controls areas in the North, the Turkish Army operates in Northern Aleppo, and other various parties exercise control across the country. Mr.Kara Ali also explained that many Syrian refugees are being sent to the Free Syrian Army, where they are being forced to pay a fine for having attempted to seek asylum in Turkey. 

1. Diana, Hodali, “Syrians in Turkey face deportation into an unknown future,” Dw.com, Deutsche Welle, 2024, https://www.dw.com/en/syrians-in-turkey-face-deportation-into-an-unknown-future/a-69491855#:~:text=According%20to%20Human%20Rights%20Watch,returnees%22%20or%20%22voluntary%22. 

2. “Turkey forcibly deports more than 3500 Syrian refugees,” Hawarnews.com, Hawar News Agency, 2024, https://hawarnews.com/en/turkey-forcibly-deports-more-than-3500-syrian-refugees. 

3. “Escalation of Threats and Violence Against Syrian Refugees in Turkey: An Urgent Call to Protect Human Rights,” Snhr.org, Syrian Network for Human Rights, 2024, https://snhr.org/blog/2024/07/05/escalation-of-threats-and-violence-against-syrian-refugees-in-turkey-an-urgent-call-to-protect-human-rights/. 

When asked about the Syrian refugees still living in Turkey, Mr. Kara Ali explained that there is an overwhelming sense of fear amongst the remaining refugees. Many families are afraid to leave their houses, even to go to the grocery store, for fear of being deported. Mr. Kara Ali described the numerous deportation cars roaming the major roads throughout Turkey, which are stopping Syrian refugees without reason, and detaining them on the spot regardless of their temporary residency status. Not only are Syrian refugees living in fear of deportation by the Turkish authorities, they are afraid of treatment by Turkish citizens. Mr. Kara Ali explained that the deportation campaign being carried out by the Turkish government, as well as the anti-immigrant rhetoric espoused by Turkish president Erdogan has emboldened many Turkish citizens to engage in racist hate speech, rioting, and violence against Syrian refugees. “The Turkish people, they are not afraid to kill Syrians [anymore],” Mr. Kara Ali explains. He describes how Syrian refugees are forced to endure harassment and violence. “If you go to the [Turkish] court, if you go to complain, you will get deported directly, even if you have the right to complain,” he says.  There is thus an environment in Turkey at the moment which permits citizens to engage in violence against Syrian refugees with impunity. Mr.Kara Ali also suggests that the anti-immigrant sentiment is also fueled by the weak economic state of the country, as President Erdogan has utilized Syrian refugees as a scapegoat for his own political failures. By writing off Turkey’s economic struggles as a byproduct of the influx of Syrian refugees, President Erdogan has incited a surge in bigotry and harassment of Syrians living in Turkey. 

There is yet another layer to the fear under which Syrian refugees are currently living, Mr.Kara Ali notes. President Erdogan is seeking to normalize relations with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. This prospect is frightening to Syrian refugees, as they are in opposition of the Assad regime. Mr.Kara Ali believes that Erdogan’s incentives both for the normalization of relations with Assad, as well as the deportation campaign against refugees stems primarily from economic motivations. Erdogan is attempting to send a message of goodwill to Assad by demonstrating that Turkey is sending Syrians back to Syria. Erdogan aims to establish a relationship with Assad as he is in the process of trying to open a trading path between Turkey and Jordan. The path will pass through territory under the control of Assad’s opposition, as well as of Assad. While Erdogan already has an established relationship with the opposition, he will also need to solidify a relationship with Assad in order for this trading route to be possible. Syrian refugees are thus living in fear of being deported back to an area controlled by the Assad regime, contributing to their hesitancy to even leave their homes at this time. 

Despite this mass deportation campaign, Mr.Kara Ali says that when asked what they will do now, Syrian deportees said they would try to return to Turkey. However, the border between Turkey and Syria is now completely closed, meaning the only way for Syrians to flee is by smuggling their way across the border. To do so, Mr.Kara Ali says they will need to pay a smuggler between $3,000 and $5,000, and the risk of being caught by Turkish border guards is high. One man Mr.Kara Ali spoke to detailed the violence he endured at the hands of Turkish border guards, who reportedly broke his hand. He also mentioned that a group of around 40 Syrians attempting to smuggle their way into Turkey were caught and forced by Turkish border authorities to sit out underneath the sun from 7:00 AM until sunset, in 39°C (102℉) heat. Thus, Syrian refugees have been forced into a “miserable situation,”, where their lives are at risk whether they are residing in Turkey, deported to Syria, or attempting to flee Syria back to Turkey.

Yet the international community has done little to address the crisis. Mr.Kara Ali noted that he has attempted in the past to bring evidence of human rights abuses at the hands of Turkish authorities to the attention of Human Rights Watch, but nothing has come of it. Furthermore, there is little reporting in Western media on the situation. Mr.Kara Ali believes this is due in part to the fact that Western countries perhaps do not want to open their borders to an influx of refugees themselves, and are thus granting Turkey greater leeway to deal with Syrian refugees however they want, with little accountability. “The [deportation] campaign still goes on, and everyday becomes worse and worse,” Mr.Kara Ali says. As the situation for Syrian refugees deteriorates, it is important that the international community takes notice of the reports of human rights abuses, forced deportations, and dangerous conditions faced by refugees being sent back to a war-torn Syria. The voices of refugees, such as those highlighted by Mustafa Kara Ali speak to the severe reality and urgency of this crisis. It is critical that human rights organizations and media outlets, particularly those in Western countries, shed light on and bring focus to this situation and the individuals who have fallen victim to it.

References

Hodali, Diana. “Syrians in Turkey face deportation into an unknown future.” Dw.com. Deutsche Welle, 2024. https://www.dw.com/en/syrians-in-turkey-face-deportation-into-an-unknown-future/a-69491855#:~:text=According%20to%20Human%20Rights%20Watch,returnees%22%20or%20%22voluntary%22. 

“Turkey forcibly deports more than 3500 Syrian refugees.” Hawarnews.com. Hawar News Agency, 2024. https://hawarnews.com/en/turkey-forcibly-deports-more-than-3500-syrian-refugees. 

“Escalation of Threats and Violence Against Syrian Refugees in Turkey: An Urgent Call to Protect Human Rights.” Snhr.org. Syrian Network for Human Rights, 2024. https://snhr.org/blog/2024/07/05/escalation-of-threats-and-violence-against-syrian-refugees-in-turkey-an-urgent-call-to-protect-human-rights/.