45 people sent to removal centers to be deported over ‘banana-eating videos’

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The Directorate General of Migration Management has announced that 45 people will be deported from Turkey over "banana-eating videos."

After a citizen targeted Syrians in a street interview by saying, "I cannot eat bananas, they buy kilos of bananas," several people from Syria posted videos of themselves while eating bananas in protest.

Shortly afterwards several people, including journalist Majed Shamaa, who reported on the videos in a humorous tone, were taken into custody and sent to removal centers to be deported from Turkey.

According to the recent statement of the Directorate, the people who posted the videos have been referred to removal centers to be deported following the legal proceedings. The Directorate has briefly said:

"45 foreign nationals who shared the related provocative posts have been identified and these people have been referred to the Removal Centers to be deported following the legal proceedings.

"With their procedures still ongoing, the 45 foreign nationals are still under administrative surveillance in the Removal Centers."

What happened?

Turkey's migration authority, the General Directorate of Migration Management, announced that seven refugees had been detained for "provocative social media posts" and would soon be deported.

During a street interview in İstanbul, a man claimed that refugees are financially more comfortable than locals and said, "I can't [afford] bananas. They buy kilos of them." There was also a refugee woman among the interviewed, who said, "I'm a Syrian, too. I'm a student here. If there wasn't a war in Syria, we wouldn't have to come here. There is nothing we can do."

After this video went viral, several refugees shared videos while eating bananas. The police started working to identify everyone who shared such videos on social media, the Directorate said. It did not provide further reason for the deportation of the refugees.

Shortly afterwards, it was announced that eight more people had been taken into custody in İzmir over the 'banana-eating videos'. (RT/SD)