Turkish authorities have deported young Syrians from the Urfa border province, as part of a campaign it began about two weeks ago, because of their lack of work permits, a type of permission that allows work for one year.
According to Syrians living in Urfa, about 20 days ago Turkish authorities began a campaign of raids that has developed over the last few days into the expulsion of Syrian workers into the Aleppo and Idleb countrysides.
Syrian journalist Mosaab al-Hant said that since Thursday Turkish authorities had expelled about 12 young Syrians to the Aleppo countryside despite them holding the temporary residency or Kemlik cards, saying that the reason for their expulsion was that the young men did not have work permits.
The journalist, who lives in Urfa, said that Turkish authorities on Thursday entered public areas where there are Syrians and the al-Nofra and al-Basha coffeehouses and recorded the names of workers there.
He continued: “The following day (Friday), the young men whose names were recorded were sent to the foreigner deportation directorate and then transported to the northern Aleppo countryside.”
According to Hant, the Turkish authorities’ campaign lasted until Saturday evening. He added that the expulsions of the young men were confirmed after speaking with them immediately after they entered the Aleppo countryside as well as with their families.
Urfa is inhabited by about 473,000 Syrians, comprising about 23 percent of the population, according to statistics issued by the migration directorate in the Turkish Interior Ministry in July 2018.
A young Syrian man living in Urfa who asked not to be named told Alsouria Net that the number of young men deported from Urfa over the last few days came to around 20 young men.
On Oct. 25, 2019, Amnesty International accused Turkey of forcibly deporting Syrians into Syria, which is still seeing military conflict, before the establishment of the “safe zone.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
