Turkey reports nearly 5 million migrants across the country

Migrants on the shores of the Evros river between Turkey and Greece in 2020. (Photo: Hikmet Adal/bianet)

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There are approximately 4.9 million migrants residign in Turkey, the Directorate General of Migration Management, a division of the Ministry of Interior, has announced on Twitter.

As part of their efforts to manage foreign population density, a total of 1,169 neighborhoods have been closed to new foreign registrations. These areas have a migrant population that exceeds 20% of the local population. Notably, İstanbul, the country's most populous city, is home to 54 of these neighborhoods.

The statement comes in response to the circulation of speculative news regarding the number of migrants in the country. The directorate clarified that the official and updated figures can be found on their website, goc.gov.tr, adding that the numbers circulating on social media platforms do not accurately reflect the reality. Some opposition politicians and media outlets have uttered numbers as high as 13 million regarding the migrants in the country.

The statement also reaffirmed the government's commitment to addressing irregular migration with determination and persistence.

Migrants from Syria and Afghanistan

The majority of migrants in Turkey are individuals who sought refuge in the country following the onset of the Syrian conflict in 2011. According to the latest data, as of July 13, there are approximately 3.3 million Syrians residing in Turkey under the temporary protection status. This figure represents a decrease from 3.5 million in 2022 and 3.7 million in 2021.

Afghans make up the second-largest migrant community in Turkey, with a population of over 300,000.

Apprehended migrants

In terms of apprehended migrants, the direcorate reported that over 285,000 irregular migrants were captured last year. As of July 13 this year, 88,000 individuals have been apprehended. However, when excluding multiple apprehensions of the same migrant within the same year, the remaining number of migrants stands at 64,000.

Among the countries of origin for apprehended migrants, Afghanistan tops the list. Last year, there were 111,000 Afghan migrants apprehended, and as of July 13 this year, the number reached 27,000. (RT/VK)