The first in his life Sezar Azheer boarded a plane, he was dragged aboard against his will. The 19-year-old was in Turkey illegally and about to be deported back to Afghanistan.
Tens of thousands of Afghans have journeyed to Turkey to escape deadly violence that has engulfed the country since 2002. But Mr Azheer is one of thousands to have been recently forcibly returned to the war-torn country by Turkish authorities.
Stuck with increasing numbers of undocumented foreigners who are increasingly unable to proceed on migrant trails to Europe, Turkish authorities have been quietly implementing a policy of deporting Afghans, signalling a clear shift from its previously warm reception of refugees.
Mr Azheer was stopped in May in the Turkish city of Yalowa and found to have no legal papers.
Once he landed, he stayed in Kabul – the deadliest city in Afghanistan – rather than return to his hometown in Ghor province, where the Taliban had threatened to kill him in 2016 unless his mother stepped down as head of the governorate.
“I told the [Turkish police] that my life is in danger and that I had proof that the Taliban was threatening my life, but they didn’t care,” says Mr Azheer, speaking by phone from Afghanistan.
Turkey has become an even more important destination for Afghans since Pakistan and Iran began expelling refugees in 2016. But between January and early April, Turkey deported at least 7,100 Afghans according to Amnesty International. Two thousand more remain in detention and are likely to be deported within weeks.
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Turkish officials acknowledge the uptick in removals, saying that most Afghans are illegal migrants that are transiting to Europe.
But rights groups accuse Turkish authorities of preventing new arrivals from making asylum claims that would give them the temporary right to remain and forcing them to sign 'voluntary' deportation orders.
In Turkey, asylum seekers are assigned a host city where they are obliged to stay until their cases are processed. These are usually far from urban centres such as Istanbul or Ankara.
Afghans like Mr Azheer were deported for leaving their assigned cities as he, like many stuck with few opportunities in rural areas, migrated to be part of a larger Afghan community and to look for work.
Unlike the 3.5 million fleeing the Syrian conflict who have found refuge in Turkey, Afghans are far less likely to be treated as refugees
But the country remains too dangerous to return asylum seekers to, says Amnesty International. In the first three months of 2018, the UN recorded 763 civilian deaths in the country.
The speed of deportations suggests a new blanket policy to remove Afghans, said deputy director of Amnesty International for South Asia Omar Waraich. “[Amnesty] has a lot of sympathy for Turkey for being the largest refugee host in the world, but their mass deportations of Afghans seems to be ruthless,” he said. “After earning so much moral prestige by hosting [3.9 million] refugees, Turkey’s deportation of Afghans is actively squandering it.”
Turkey’s Internal Directorate for Migration Management denies it has adopted a policy targeting all Afghans and an advisor said all refugees have fair access to asylum procedures. The advisor also denied reports that border patrols were coercing Afghans to sign deportation orders.
“That’s just a rumour,” said the advisor, who identified himself as Mr Bakir. “All illegal migrants have access to a translator once they are caught and can ask for international protection.”
However, police officers have wide powers that allow them to report migrants either as illegal aliens or asylum seekers. Several local asylum groups, which aren’t authorised to speak to the press, say that decision is often made arbitrarily.
Gulagha Mayil, a young Afghan who is also living in Yalova, said police were preparing to deport him after catching him outside his assigned city. They changed their minds after he showed a video of the Taliban stoning his niece to death. She was killed, he said, for planning to elope with a man.
Mr Mayil later obtained a six month residency permit to remain in Turkey, but fears authorities won’t renew it. He now plans to hire a smuggler to take him to Europe and plans to leave in the coming days.
If he’s caught, he’ll be returned to Turkey by European authorities. In March 2016, Turkey agreed to take back migrants entering the European Union in exchange for looser visa regulations for Turkish citizens and 3 billion euros.
“Afghans have nowhere to go,” said Mr Mayil. “Turkey isn’t safe and many of us don’t know what might happen if we stay here.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
