Turkish police beat us with iron rods before we lost limbs to frostbite, Afghans say
Young Afghan migrants attempting to reach Europe in January allege Turkish border guards beat them with iron rods, stripped them, and left them in snow; at least 20 died, 11 lost limbs to frostbite.
Afghan migrants' testimony of violence
A dozen young Afghan men and boys who tried to reach Europe in January have told the BBC they were among a group of 50 migrants beaten and stripped by Turkish border guards before being stranded in sub-zero temperatures near the Iranian border. They claim at least 20 people froze to death, and 11 eventually lost limbs to frostbite, including a 13-year-old.
Shahsawar, 21, says he woke up in a Kabul hospital to discover both his hands and legs had been amputated. "I raised my hands – they felt light. Both had been cut off," he recalls. The group says they were taken from the city of Van to the border area after being arrested in mid-January.
Chronology of events
After people smugglers helped them cross into Turkey from Iran, around 50 undocumented Afghans were detained. They claim border guards kept them in a warehouse where snow fell on them, gave only water and dry bread once a day, and forced them to do hard labour. The most violent incident occurred on 25 January, when the migrants say they were lined up, beaten with iron bars, stripped, and forced to crawl on their stomachs towards a hill with hands tied. Then they were released in groups of eight and pushed through barbed wire toward Iran in a blizzard.
Aftermath and rescue
The migrants sought help in Iran but were refused hospital treatment. On 29 January, the Afghan embassy in Tehran said it had taken urgent steps. Four days later, the Red Crescent Society transferred them overland to Herat Province, Afghanistan, and later to Kabul for medical care. By then, frostbite had turned parts of their bodies black, leading to multiple amputations.
Turkey's response
Turkey's foreign ministry dismissed the allegations, stating border forces act in line with national and international law and provide all necessary assistance to detained migrants, including food, water and medical care. The ministry claimed Turkey's measures have almost completely halted irregular migration flows to the European Union. Activists say similar incidents have occurred since the Taliban took power in 2021, and increased surveillance forces migrants onto more dangerous routes.
