Migration Management: İstanbul Closed to Registration Due to Dense Refugee Population

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Abdullah Ayaz, the Director-General of the Ministry of Interior Migration Management, has said that the recent measures against the refugees target not Syrians but "irregular migration."

"It's not legally possible to take the decision to deport Syrians due to the current situation in Syria," he said.

Ayaz clarified that the ongoing process of moving migrants from Istanbul has nothing to do with their deportation: "There are Syrians living in İstanbul although they are registered in different cities."

"We expect them to return to the cities where they are registered," he added. As for unregistered Syrians, he said, "Once their registration is completed, they will be dispatched to different cities."

CLICK - Syrians in Turkey According to Directorate General of Migration Management Data

He added that registration is closed in Istanbul due to an existing large population of Syrian refugees in the city. The Governorship of İstanbul set a deadline of August 20 for Syrians to return to the provinces where they were registered in. 

"We have taken action against 12 thousand irregular immigrants in the last 15 days. Among them were 4 thousand 700 Afghans and 3 thousand Pakistanis while the rest were from different nationalities."

He said that migrants who are not from these three countries are extradited when they are rounded up.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Sunday (July 28) that deportation was out of the question for Syrian people who are under temporary protection or have a residence permit and for foreigners who are granted international protection status. (AÖ/VK)

Source: AA