Turkey Detains 57 Afghan Migrants Found Hidden in Truck Tanker
Turkish police detained 57 Afghan migrants hidden inside a truck tanker in Rize, underscoring intensifying efforts against irregular migration and smuggling.
Turkish police in the northern city of Rize on Saturday detained 57 Afghan migrants who were found hidden inside the tank section of a cargo truck, according to local media reports.
Authorities also arrested the truck driver on suspicion of human smuggling, as part of an ongoing crackdown on irregular migration routes used by undocumented migrants trying to move across Turkey.
Reports said the Afghan migrants were transferred to foreigners’ removal centers in the city after administrative and legal procedures were completed. Turkish officials have not released further details about their exact route or intended destination.
The latest case highlights the dangerous conditions many Afghan migrants face while attempting to travel through Turkey, often relying on smuggling networks and overcrowded, unsafe vehicles in hopes of reaching safer destinations or Europe.
Detentions and deportation procedures involving Afghan migrants have become a near-daily occurrence in Turkey, where security forces have expanded operations targeting undocumented foreigners and cross-border trafficking networks.
Turkey has remained one of the main transit countries for Afghan migrants trying to reach Europe, especially since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Many Afghans continue to flee because of insecurity, economic hardship and political repression, creating sustained migration pressure across the region.
Official and media-reported figures suggest Afghans remain the largest group among undocumented migrants detained in Turkey. Reports citing Turkish migration data said more than 42,000 Afghan migrants were detained in 2025, while enforcement actions have also continued into 2026.
The Rize incident is another reminder of the risks tied to irregular migration and the increasingly harsh environment facing Afghan refugees in transit countries, where detention, deportation and exploitation by smuggling networks remain constant threats.
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