Afghans fleeing violence unwelcome in Turkey
Human rights groups warn that thousands of Afghan refugees in Turkey face abuse and deportation as the country focuses on the millions of Syrian asylum-seekers ahead of this summer's vote.
![EUROPE-MIGRANTS/TURKEY Afghan refugees walk through a beach where they will wait to board a dinghy sailing off for the Greek island of Chios, while they try to travel from the western Turkish coastal town of Cesme, in Izmir province, Turkey, March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - GF10000335606](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2018/04/RTS9IUN.jpg/RTS9IUN.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=l7p8Hd_X)
Turkey’s waning enthusiasm for some 3.5 million-plus Syrian refugees is a compelling topic as millions of Turks prepare to cast their votes in snap polls due to be held on June 24.
Rights groups say the desperate plight of the rising wave of Afghan refugees in Turkey, however, has received scant attention as thousands are unlawfully deported by Turkish authorities to face incalculable risks back home.