Published : 11-07-2019
Palestinian refugee from Syria Mohamed Ajlani Younes, born in 1991, told AGPS that he has been detained at Istanbul’s new airport for more than two weeks over allegations of illegally attempting to enter the Turkish territories.
A couple of weeks ago, the Turkish authorities deported Mohamed to Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, before he was sent back by the Lebanese authorities to Turkey, where he applied for asylum after he consulted a lawyer to that end. His application was turned down shortly after.
Mohamed also said that the Palestine Embassy reached out to the Turkish authorities to cancel the deportation order and was told that the refugee is “a guest” in the Turkish territories.
Speaking with AGPS by phone a few weeks earlier, Mohamed’s family said he had left Lebanon through legal routes, via Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on way to Iraq’s Erbil International Airport. He later attempted to enter Turkey using a fake Iraqi passport.
Mohamed was detained on May 26. The Turkish authorities have threatened to push him back to Erbil or Lebanon.
His family has appealed to the Turkish authorities, Palestine Embassy, and human rights organizations in Istanbul to make serious steps in order to release their son and cancel the deportation decision.
AGPS continues to appeal to the Turkish authorities to backtrack on the refoulement decision and grant Mohamed asylum in Turkey. Once Mohamed is pushed back to Lebanon he is very likely to be forcibly sent to Syria, where he will be at risk of prosecution, abduction, and even fatal torture.
Palestinian refugee from Syria Mohamed Ajlani Younes, born in 1991, told AGPS that he has been detained at Istanbul’s new airport for more than two weeks over allegations of illegally attempting to enter the Turkish territories.
A couple of weeks ago, the Turkish authorities deported Mohamed to Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, before he was sent back by the Lebanese authorities to Turkey, where he applied for asylum after he consulted a lawyer to that end. His application was turned down shortly after.
Mohamed also said that the Palestine Embassy reached out to the Turkish authorities to cancel the deportation order and was told that the refugee is “a guest” in the Turkish territories.
Speaking with AGPS by phone a few weeks earlier, Mohamed’s family said he had left Lebanon through legal routes, via Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on way to Iraq’s Erbil International Airport. He later attempted to enter Turkey using a fake Iraqi passport.
Mohamed was detained on May 26. The Turkish authorities have threatened to push him back to Erbil or Lebanon.
His family has appealed to the Turkish authorities, Palestine Embassy, and human rights organizations in Istanbul to make serious steps in order to release their son and cancel the deportation decision.
AGPS continues to appeal to the Turkish authorities to backtrack on the refoulement decision and grant Mohamed asylum in Turkey. Once Mohamed is pushed back to Lebanon he is very likely to be forcibly sent to Syria, where he will be at risk of prosecution, abduction, and even fatal torture.
