Turkey Detains 63 Afghan Migrants in Hakkari, Arrests Suspected Smuggler

Hakkari, Turkey — Turkish police have detained 63 Afghan nationals and arrested a suspected migrant smuggler in the eastern province of Hakkari, as authorities continue their intensified crackdown on irregular migration, Turkish media reported on Sunday.

According to a statement from the Hakkari provincial governor’s office, police apprehended the Afghan nationals while they were attempting to enter Turkey irregularly. The suspected organizer, accused of arranging their transportation, was also detained during an operation coordinated with the provincial chief prosecutor’s office.

The suspected smuggler was referred to a court and subsequently remanded in custody pending trial. The 63 Afghan nationals will be transferred to the neighboring province of Agri for further legal and administrative procedures, including processing and potential deportation, authorities said.

Broader Crackdown on Irregular Migration

The arrests come amid an intensified nationwide crackdown on irregular migration across Turkey. According to figures released by the Directorate General of Migration Management on November 7, Turkish authorities detained 33,341 Afghan nationals during the first 10 months of 2026, making Afghans the largest group among undocumented migrants apprehended in the country.

More than 120,000 foreign nationals were detained across Turkey between January and October, while 11,089 people were apprehended on suspicion of involvement in human trafficking and migrant smuggling. The migration authority did not specify how many Afghan detainees were subsequently deported, released, or remained in immigration detention.

Deportations and Humanitarian Concerns

The United Nations has previously reported that Turkey deported more than 13,000 Afghan nationals during the first five months of 2026. The continuing deportations have raised concerns about the situation of Afghan migrants facing forced returns to a country grappling with severe humanitarian and economic challenges following decades of conflict and the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

Human rights organizations have criticized Turkey’s migration policies, arguing that forced returns to Afghanistan violate the principle of non-refoulement under international law, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, ethnic and religious minorities, and former government officials who may face persecution.

Regional Context

Hakkari province, which borders both Iraq and Iran, has long been a major transit route for migrants seeking to enter Turkey and eventually reach Europe. Smuggling networks often transport migrants through mountainous terrain in the region, exposing them to harsh weather conditions and the risk of exploitation by criminal organizations.

Turkish authorities have stepped up patrols and operations in border provinces in recent years, but the flow of irregular migrants particularly from Afghanistan has remained persistent, driven by economic hardship, insecurity, and limited legal pathways to safety.

The Hakkari operation underscores the continuing pressure on Turkey’s migration management system and the risks faced by Afghan migrants, who remain the largest undocumented population apprehended in the country.

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