Kabul, July 2: A BBC investigation has revealed that at least 11 young Afghan migrants suffered amputations after allegedly being beaten, stripped and forced back toward the Iran-Turkey border by Turkish border guards during freezing winter conditions earlier this year.
The report, based on interviews with 12 Afghan migrants aged 25 or younger, claims the group was among around 50 undocumented migrants who attempted to enter Turkey in January in hopes of reaching Europe.
According to the survivors, Turkish authorities detained them after they crossed into the eastern Turkish city of Van, where temperatures had dropped to minus 15 degrees Celsius.
The migrants alleged they were held for several days in harsh conditions, receiving minimal food and water and being forced to carry out manual labour before being subjected to violence.
One of the survivors, 21-year-old Shahsawar, told the BBC that the group was beaten with iron bars, stripped of their clothes, and forced toward the Iranian border during a snowstorm.
“They took away our clothes, shoes and socks and pushed us through barbed wire,” he said.
The migrants claimed they were left wearing only trousers and had to navigate deep snow in sub-zero temperatures without food, shelter or adequate clothing.
They alleged that at least 20 members of the group froze to death, although the BBC said it could not independently verify the figure.
Among the survivors was 13-year-old Asim, who was reportedly found alive in the snow after becoming separated from the group.
The report states that many of the migrants suffered severe frostbite but were unable to obtain timely medical treatment after crossing into Iran. They were later transferred to Afghanistan with the assistance of humanitarian agencies.
Eleven of the survivors eventually underwent amputations due to irreversible frostbite injuries.
Shahsawar said he regained consciousness in a Kabul hospital to discover that both his hands and legs had been amputated.
“I raised my hands—they felt light. Both had been cut off,” he told the BBC.
Another survivor, 23-year-old Alawaldin, lost several toes after his injuries worsened because of delayed treatment.
The BBC report said Afghan migrants have increasingly taken dangerous mountain routes into Turkey since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, amid tightened border controls and increased surveillance.
Migration rights activists quoted in the investigation alleged that pushbacks and reports of mistreatment along the Iran-Turkey border have become increasingly common in recent years.
Responding to the allegations, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry rejected the claims, saying its border forces operate in accordance with national and international law.
In a statement to the BBC, the ministry said detained undocumented migrants receive necessary assistance, including food, water and medical care, and described allegations of mistreatment as “unfounded.”
The ministry added that Turkey continues to implement a “human-centred and sustainable migration management system” while combating irregular migration.
Iranian authorities were also approached for comment, according to the BBC, but had not responded at the time of publication.
