DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — In April 2011, Turkey’s Cilvegozu crossing on its border with Syria suddenly became inundated with throngs of people massing there, trying to escape the one-month-old Syrian civil war. More than 250 Syrians were in the first group to be given refuge in Turkey, marking the beginning of Turkey’s involvement in the war.

Those first immigrants were soon followed by myriad others who grew into a community of almost 4 million people. These immigrants have become a major concern for Turkey over the past seven years.

Now, a statement from New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) is heightening the rest of the world's awareness. HRW claims Turkey has stopped registering new Syrian refugees in Istanbul and in nine provinces bordering Syria, though Turkish officials deny it.

Before going public with its accusation July 16, HRW interviewed 32 Syrians who had applied for temporary protection in Hatay, Istanbul and Gaziantep. In the interviews in Hatay, Syrians said Turkish police have been deporting Syrians in groups of 20 because the refugees don’t have temporary protection documents. The people also said that even if they were allowed to stay they couldn't access medical, educational or similar services without those papers.