Is Turkey issuing residence permits to Afghans? Official response clears the air

ISTANBUL – The government of Turkey has denied issuing residence permits to the Afghans, clearing the air over the controversy that erupted a few days ago.

In response to a parliamentary question posed by a leader of the opposition party Deniz Demir, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan replied that no commitments were made regarding visas and residence permits for Afghan migrants.

The query centered around allegations of discussing the “legalization of Afghan migrants and work visas for Afghans” during a meeting between Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the Islamic Emirate’s acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, and Cenk Unal, Chargé d’Affaires and Head of Mission of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul.

Fidan emphasized that the discussions revolved around combating irregular migration from Afghanistan and the return of irregular Afghan migrants to Turkey, Tolo News reported.

The minister also highlighted that Turkish missions and embassies do not typically disclose meetings with the country’s authorities.

Millions of Afghan refugees are settled in Asia including in countries like Pakistan which has already ordered all the illegal refugees to either leave the country or face deportation. The deadline set in this regard was November 1st as the Pakistani government cites economic and security challenges behind the move though rights groups have criticised the move.

In the wake of the comprehensive crackdown, more and more refugees including Afghans are settling to other places. The government of Canada is also welcoming a few Afghans to settle by inviting them to the country and recently 295 Afghans headed to Canada on a special plane that flew off from Pakistan.