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Escaping From Taliban: All or Nothing

With the US decision to withdraw from Afghanistan after 20 years of war and the Taliban taking control of the country, the Turkey-Iran border has become a route used by illegal refugees and human smugglers to reach Europe. Most of the Afghan refugees died while trying to cross the Iran-Turkey border, the bodies of 100 Afghan refugees on the boat that sank in Lake Van have still not been found. According to the data of Turkish authorities, last year, Turkish security forces detained 200,000 Afghan asylum seekers who were found to be illegal in the country, took them to deportation camps and deported them by plane. Turkey completed 63 km of the modular concrete wall, which it started to build on the 560 km Iranian border, in Van. Border security is being increased to a higher level in order to prevent illegal crossings. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Turkey currently hosts more than 4.4 million refugees and migrants and has called on the international community and the United Nations to assist with any further influx. According to UNHCR, the number of registered Afghan refugees in the world is 2.5 million.

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    An Afghan refugee boy hides inside the sewer pipe made of concrete next to the railway as he came from Van city after crossing Iran-Turkey border near Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 02 June 2021.

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    Refugees walking next to the railway in Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 08 June 2021.

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    A group of Afghan and Iranian refugees waiting under bridge next to the railway in Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 08 June 2021.

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    An Afghan refugee walks next to the railway in Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 02 June 2021.

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    Refugees sleeping near destroyed car next to the abandoned barns in Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 08 June 2021.

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    A group of Afghan and Iranian refugees resting near former oil refinery wall as they came from Van city after crossing Iran-Turkey border near Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 02 June 2021.

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    A group of Afghan and Iranian refugees waiting for food next to the abandoned barns in Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 02 June 2021.

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    A group of Afghan and Iranian refugees waiting under bridge next to the railway in Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 08 June 2021.

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    Turkish soldiers patrol with military vehicles next to a wall on the Turkey-Iran border line in Van city, Turkey, 24 August 2021.

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    Migrants from Afghanistan are seen in the house which smugglers used as a secret house as they detained by Turkish security forces during an operation in the border city of Van, Turkey, 25 August 2021.

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    An officer walks in corridor near migrant's cells at the deportation center in the border city of Van near Iranian border, 24 August 2021.

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    Gravestones of refugees who died crossing the Turkish-Iranian border are seen at the "unidentified" cemetery in Van city eastern province of Turkey, 04 June 2021.

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    A group of refugees walking during the sunset next to the railway as they came from Van city after crossing Iran-Turkey border in Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 08 June 2021.

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    An Afghan refugee girl holds her food who arrives to Diyarbakir from Turkish-Iran border near intercity bus station in Diyarbakir, Turkey, 14 June 2021.

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    A group of refugees waiting under a railway pass as they came from Van city after crossing Iran-Turkey border near Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 02 June 2021.

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    A group of refugees resting under the bridge near railway as they came from Van city after crossing Iran-Turkey border near Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 02 June 2021.

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    An Afghan refugee who arrives to Diyarbakir from Turkish-Iran border rests and waits for their bus in backyard of Feqiya Teyran Mosque near intercity bus station in Diyarbakir, Turkey, 14 June 2021.

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    A group of Afghan and Iranian refugees eating next to the abandoned barns in Tatvan district in Bitlis city eastern province of Turkey, 02 June 2021.

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    An Afghan migrant, walks on the field out of the border city of Van, 13 August 2021.

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    Turkish soldiers watching from hill next to the security wall on the Turkey-Iran border line in Van city, Turkey, 24 August 2021.

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    Migrants from Afghanistan looking from window as they detained by Turkish security forces during an operation in the border city of Van, Turkey, 25 August 2021.

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    Turkish SWAT members starting an operation to stop the human trafficking and raid the houses used by the smugglers as secret houses in the border city of Van, Turkey, 25 August 2021.

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    Fingerprints are taken of Afghan immigrants who caught by Turkish border security forces after crossing illegally into Turkey from Iran at the deportation center in the border city of Van near Iranian border, 24 August 2021.

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    A migrant baby from Afghanistan who caught by Turkish border security forces after crossing illegally with his family into Turkey from Iran standing near playground at the deportation center in the border city of Van near Iranian border, 24 August 2021.

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    Gravestones of refugees who died crossing the Turkish-Iranian border are seen at the "unidentified" cemetery in Van city eastern province of Turkey, 04 June 2021.

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