Sent to a War Zone: Turkey’s Illegal Deportations of Syrian Refugees
Abstract
This report reveals that, contrary to the Turkish authorities’ claims that they do not deport anyone to Syria, in
mid-2019 it is likely that hundreds of people across Turkey were swept up, detained, and transported
against their will to one of the world’s most dangerous countries. Many people were deported from Istanbul,
and were apprehended while they were working or walking down the street. Amnesty International
documented 20 detailed cases of forced returns between 25 May and 13 September 2019, with most (14)
in July.