Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday said that no promise was made to grant visas and residence permits to Afghan migrants, Anadolu Agency reported.
Fidan’s remarks came in response to a parliamentary question by Deniz Demir, Ankara deputy of Türkiye’s main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The question concerned allegations that “legalization of Afghan migrants and work visas for Afghans” were discussed during a meeting between the Islamic Emirate’s acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, and Cenk Unal, Chargé d’Affaires and Head of Mission of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul, Anadolu Agency cited.
The foreign minister said it was a regular meeting between Unal and members of the Taliban-led interim administration.
“The issues of combating irregular migration originating from Afghanistan and, in this context, the return of irregular Afghan migrants in our country were discussed during the meeting,” he said as quoted by Anadolu Agency.
Fidan underlined that Turkish missions and embassies are not in the practice of announcing meetings with the country’s authorities. The consulate of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, Pakistan, Abdul Jabar Takhari, said that in one year, more than 3,000 immigrants have been released from Pakistani prisons and returned to the country.
Takhari added that over three hundred other prisoners are currently imprisoned in Sindh state prisons. “In one year, 2,998 prisoners were released from various prisons of Sindh with the efforts of the Islamic Emirate and entered the country through the Chaman crossing. Currently, the number of those released who did not have legal documents reaches 3053,” Abdul Jabar Takhari said.
Meanwhile, some Afghan immigrants who are were in Pakistan’s prisons, complained of their bad situation. “They took my money. I was born in Pakistan and so far I have not been to Afghanistan,” Mohammad Hazrat, Afghan immigrant in Pakistan told TOLOnews. “There are those Afghans who do not have supporters, those who know people are being released quickly,” Mohammad Amir, another Afghan immigrant in Pakistan said.
In the meantime, officials in Nimroz province also said that 193 Afghan prisoners have been released from Iran’s prisons yesterday.
“193 Afghans who have been to Iran without documents and were imprisoned were handed over by Iran,” said Yar Mohammad Haqyar, head of Nimroz’s Foreign Relations.
The Islamic Emirate said that they are trying to transfer all the immigrants who are imprisoned in the neighboring countries and the region from prison and back to Afghanistan.—Tolonews
