Turkey 'beating and raping' asylum seekers
Border guards in Turkey beating and raping legitimate asylum seekers, Amnesty International says
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Wednesday, 22, Apr 2009 04:23
Turkey is not meeting its responsibility as a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention by not protecting legitimate asylum seekers, Amnesty International has said.
A new report claims that border guards in Turkey, the only signatory to the convention that does not recognise individuals from countries outside the Council of Europe as refugees, are forcibly returning asylum seekers to their country of origin despite fears for their safety.
"If we didn't give money then they beat us. They used our money to send us back to Afghanistan," one refugee told the human rights group.
In April 2008, Amnesty International was informed about an Iraqi family which was under arrest in southern Turkey after fleeing Baghdad. Police officers denied them the opportunity to apply for asylum despite a request being made by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on their behalf and even refused to admit that the family was in detention. The family was forcibly returned to Iraq despite fears for their lives.
Andrew Gardner, expert on Turkey, accused Ankara of "double standards".
"The Turkish authorities violate the rights of asylum-seekers on a regular basis from the moment they attempt to enter the country. The violations continue while their asylum claims are underway and after they are granted refugee status," he said.
Asylum-seekers are often detained for extended periods in poor conditions and with insufficient food and without a clear justification for the detention, says the Amnesty report. They may be expelled without any adequate legal procedure being followed, returning them to countries where their lives may be at risk.
In September 2008, 24 Uzbek refugees, 15 of them children, were forced into Iranian territory by Turkish security officials. During the deportation, members of the group were allegedly beaten and women and girls threatened with rape, Amnesty said.
In Iran, the group were held hostage by an unnamed group which threatened to kill them. They were released after paying a ransom of $5,000 and returned to Turkey irregularly. In October, the group was once again deported to Iran.
In April 2008, four people drowned after a group of 18 people were forced to swim across the River Tigris dividing Turkey and Iraq after Iraqi authorities refused to accept them back into their territory.
Asylum-seekers in Turkey also face severe restrictions in gaining access to health care, adequate housing and work, despite Turkey's obligations under international law.
Amnesty International wants a new domestic asylum procedure in Turkey that would grant recognition to everyone in need of international protection.