Turkey deports 50 Somali nationals as nearly 300 reportedly await possible removal
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Turkey has deported 50 Somali nationals to Mogadishu, Somali media reported, while nearly 300 Somali youths are said to remain detained at a facility in Istanbul pending possible deportation.
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Those who arrived at Aden Adde International Airport comprised 25 men and 25 women, according to sources familiar with the arrivals.
The deportees were reportedly the first group removed from Turkey after nearly 300 Somali youths were rounded up in recent days and transferred to a detention facility in Istanbul.
Several of the youths who spoke to Somali media said they had committed no offences in Turkey. They said the group included university students as well as people employed in the country.
Information gathered about the detainees also indicated that some were suspected of taking part in irregular migration activities.
Details surrounding the deportations remained uncertain, including the precise grounds Turkish authorities cited for ordering the individuals to leave.
Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had not been informed about the situation involving the deported youths when approached for comment.
The ministry added, according to its response to Somali media, that Turkey had the authority to deport individuals it did not want to remain in the country.
It was not immediately known whether the deportees had access to legal proceedings or whether authorities had issued individual deportation orders in their cases.
Turkey has deported Somali nationals in the past, but the scale of the latest reported operation and the reasons for it could not immediately be independently confirmed.
For years, Turkey has served as both a destination and transit route for Somalis seeking opportunities in Europe. Some migrants travel through Turkey to Greece and other European countries using irregular migration networks.
The reported removals come amid intensified Turkish efforts to curb irregular migration and impose tighter controls on foreign nationals living in the country.
At the same time, Turkey and Somalia maintain close political, economic and security relations, including cooperation in defence, development and humanitarian assistance.
The deportations may heighten concerns among Somali families and students in Turkey, especially if additional groups are expelled.
Turkish authorities had not immediately issued a detailed explanation of the reported deportations or confirmed how many Somali nationals were facing removal.
The reported arrival of the 50 Somalis in Mogadishu is likely to focus renewed attention on the treatment of Somali nationals in Turkey and the growing difficulties confronting migrants who use the country as a route to Europe.
AXADLETM
