Turkey Found Guilty of Deporting Refugees

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Turkey guilty of forcing to deport 19 refugees illegally in 2008. 

Turkey has been ordered to pay a sum of 193,350 euros for violating the Convention Article 3. 

Deported after calling for food distribution 

In 2008, 25 Uzbekistan nationals entered the Turkish soil through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran as refugees, saying that they were subjected to human rights violations in their country. 

Most of them underaged, 25 refugees were called by Van Province Police Department for distribution of stationary items and food. 

19 were held in the police station and deported to Iran by bus. 

Following their re-entry to Turkey through illegal channels, 19 were deported again. 

The applicants’ deportations were brought to the attention of the national and international public through press releases from various NGOs and the UNHCR. Likewise, a Turkish parliamentarian issued a press release within the Parliament and criticized the removal of the applicants as well as the existing refugee protection system in Turkey.

On an unspecified date the applicants’ representative sent letters to, inter alia, the Human Rights Commission of the Parliament of Turkey, the Human Rights Commission of the Van Governor’s office and the Ministry of the Interior. 

Later on, applicants took the case to ECHR.

The applicants complained that their repeated summary deportation to Iran without a deportation order and, in the case of their first removal, whilst they had valid residence permits, had violated their rights guaranteed in Articles 3 and 13 of the Convention. 

On the other hand, ECHR considered that the applicants’ aforementioned complaints should be examined from the standpoint of Article 3 alone. 

In a verdict issued yesterday, ECHR ruled that the applicants had residence permits both in Iran and Turkey due to their refugee status according UNHCR. 

The court held that Holds that there has been a violation of Article 3 and 5 of the Convention, ordering Turkey to pay 19 Uzbekistan nationals 10,000 euros each in respect of non-pecuniary damage and 3,500 euros for court expenses. (DBN/AS)