Migrants and refugees, mostly from Afghanistan line up to receive food and water from volunteers of the Imece community group, while they wait to leave Turkey at a launching point in the coastal town of Cesme, on Dec. 3, 2015. The flow of boats from Turkey has slowed after a 3 billion euro deal was struck between the EU and Turkey, to slow the flow of migrants and refugees to Europe. Since the deal on Nov. 29, Turkish police have rounded up approximately 1300 migrants and arrested a number of smugglers. Police checkpoints on the roads leading to launch points have been increased slowing the amount of boats leaving turkish shores. Chris McGrath/Getty Images
ANKARA–Turkish authorities will deport close to 600 illegal Afghan asylum seekers in eastern Turkey back to Kabul this weekend, the interior ministry said on Saturday.
The Afghan asylum seekers had crossed into Turkey through Iran due to “ongoing terrorist activities and economic troubles” in Afghanistan, the ministry said, and security forces had handed the migrants over to provincial immigration authorities.
