Against Afghan refugees, Turkey is building a concrete wall on its border with Iran

Families of displaced people from the northern provinces, who fled the advance of the Taliban, take refuge in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 10, 2021. REUTERS - STRINGER

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Faced with the advance of the Taliban in Afghanistan, part of the population fled the country.

Thousands of candidates for exile set out on the roads of Europe.

A long journey that takes them through Turkey.

The arrival of several hundred of them at the border with Iran has raised concerns in Turkey.

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With our correspondent in Istanbul, 

Céline Pierre-Magnani

Turkey has its eyes riveted on its eastern border.

Metin Çorabatır is chairman of a study center on asylum and migration.

He has just returned from a trip to the town of Van, a few kilometers from Iran.

 There is indeed an

increase

in the number of arrivals, everyone agrees on this point,” he

says.

 But contrary to fears, there is no massive flow.

We cannot speak of thousands of people crossing. 

"

Local observers speak of rallies on the border on the Iranian side.

The current relative calm does not prevent preparations.

They are above all of a security order, on the Turkish side, but for Metin Corabatir, only international collaboration will allow good management of future flows.

"

Avoid repeating mistakes

 ”

"

 It is with the United Nations, in a concerted manner, that measures must be taken,

" he said

.

Turkey must be able to benefit from the experience of the United Nations on the issue.

We must avoid repeating the mistakes that were made at the start of the migration from Syria

.

"

In the meantime, Ankara is

building a concrete wall

hundreds of kilometers along its border with Iran to prevent what could turn into a new wave of migration.

Turkey is already hosting more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees on its soil.

See also:

Turkey denounces the American plan to welcome Afghans in third countries

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  • Turkey

  • Afghanistan

  • International Migration