Syrian Refugees At Risk of Being Returned

Amnesty International informed that around 100 refugees from Syria are at risk of being returned to the war-torn city of Kobane, urging Turkish authorities to release the refugees from their unlawful detention immediately. 

The aforementioned refugees are part of a group of over 250 men, women and children from Kobane who have been unlawfully detained by the Turkish authorities in a sports hall since 5 October in the border town of Suruç in Turkey’s south-eastern Şanlıurfa province. Of this group, two sets of returns have taken place on October 14 and 16.

According to information received from lawyers who visited the refugees and from one of the detainees, a total of over 250 Syrians (including up to 30 children), were detained on and around 5 to 6 October after being denied permission for 24 hours to enter Turkey at the Mürşitpınar border gate. They were fleeing the city of Kobane where armed clashes are currently taking place between the armed group that calls itself the Islamic State (IS) and the People’s Defence Units (YPG), the armed group of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which has controlled Kobane since July 2012.

They only have blankets; no washing facilities 

The group of at least 250 refugees has been held in a sports hall, with only blankets to sleep on and no washing facilities. The Governor of Şanlıurfa province reportedly told lawyers on 10 October that the refugees were being held in “administrative supervision ahead of deportation” under Article 57 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection. 

The refugees said that they have not been informed of the reasons for their detention. Lawyers told Amnesty International that the refugees had been individually interrogated regarding whether they were part of the administration of the PYD. The lawyers reported that some refugees made allegations of ill-treatment during their detention, including being threatened with knives during their interrogation.

On 14 October at around 2 am, a group of 82 women, men and children were returned to Syria through the Mürşitpınar border gate, after allegedly signing an agreement for their return. A 15 year-old boy who had been amongst them came back to Turkey the next day, having sustained a serious injury to his legs in an apparent IS bomb attack. He has since had one of his legs amputated in a hospital in Suruç. 

Around 100 refugees risk being returned 

On 16 October, another group of 40 refugees was returned to Syria after allegedly having agreed to be returned. The authorities reportedly told a lawyer that in addition, an unknown number of women and young children had been moved to an unspecified refugee camp in Turkey, but the lawyer had not been able to verify its location. From the original group of over 250 individuals in the sports hall, there are now 107 refugees at risk of being returned to Syria.

Call for immediate action 

Amnesty International urged Turkish authorities to release the refugees from their unlawful detention immediately and unconditionally; ensure that no refugees are forcibly returned to Syria; and ensure that Turkey’s border with Syria is open to refugees and that refugees are not detained for exercising their right to seek asylum. It also invited human rights groups and activist to sign their petition. (EÖ/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.