Refugees trying to cross into Belgium (Photo: AA/File)
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• Hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan have been crossing into Turkey every day over the past month
• Withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan, the US suggested Afghans who worked for it and their families apply for asylum in Turkey
• Turkey's Foreign Ministry denounced the US statement and said, "The US may directly transport these people by plane"
The Turkey-EU deal for Syrian refugees should be expanded to include Afghan refugees as well, according to Belgium's Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Sammy Mahdi.
"Together with other EU countries, we have written a letter to the European Commission. We have expressed our concerns and asked for guidelines on dealing with influxes of refugees in the future," Mahdi told reporters on Monday (August 2), according to The Brussels Times.
"These people should be welcomed to the region first. It is important that migrants fleeing war can be given protection nearby. Establishing Turkey as a safe third country for Afghans would help us manage migration flows," said Mahdi, echoing an earlier statement by the US Department of State.
"The Turkey agreement allows us to offer better protection to Syrians who seek asylum in Turkey who then receive robust refugee status. We must look into how this agreement can be extended to Afghan refugees at the European level so that they can also benefit from adequate protection," he added.
The US Department of State on Monday suggested Turkey as a possible application spot for citizens of Afghanistan who worked for the US government and their families.
In late July, Austria's PM Sebastian Kurz also made similar statements, asserting that Turkey is a better place for Afghan refugees than Europe.
An unverified video showing Afghan refugees crossing into Turkey from Iran on August 1:
Afgan göçmenler İran sınırından geçiş yapmaya devam ediyor. pic.twitter.com/gAkDZq5zYs
— poftp. (@poftpmedya) August 1, 2021
Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the US statement, noting that it was not consulted about the issue.
"This announcement will cause a major refugee crisis in our region and increase the misery of Afghans on the migration routes," it said in a written statement yesterday.
"Instead of looking for a solution among countries within the region, seeking a solution in Turkey without our consent is unacceptable.
"Hosting the highest number of Refugees for the last 7 years, Turkey does not have the capacity to bear another refugee crisis for another country.
"We do not accept the US' irresponsible decision taken without prior consultation. The US may directly transport these people by plane."
The new refugee wave
Over the past month, hundreds of Afghan refugees have been crossing to Turkey from Iran every day. Afghans are already the second-largest refugee community in the country after Syrians.
There are about 3.6 million refugees from Syria under "temporary protection status."
About 3.6 million Syrians are under "temporary protection status" in Turkey. The country also hosts about 320,000 refugees from other countries, including 116,000 Afghans, according to UNHCR figures released in April.
The new wave of Afghan refugees coincides with Turkey's agreement with the US to keep running Afghanistan's Kabul airport following the coalition forces' withdrawal from the country.
The number of Afghan refugees is expected to increase as the Taliban continues capturing territories from the Afghanistan government forces. The group reportedly controls about half of the country's districts. (PT/VK)
