Turkey will not accept the “irresponsible decision taken by the US” regarding Afghan refugees, a spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The statement came after the US State Department announced a US Refugee Admissions Program Priority 2 Designation for Afghan nationals who worked for the US government, US-based non-governmental organizations, and press organizations.
“The US Department of State statement said on Aug. 2 that the immigration applications of Afghans to the US will be received from third countries through their affiliated organizations, also referring to our country,” said Tanju Bilgic.
Read more: U.S. ‘really messed it up’ in Afghanistan, says PM Khan
Bilgic said the US statement will cause a great migration crisis in the region and increase the suffering of Afghan people on migration routes.
He said, “it is unacceptable to seek a solution in our country without our consent, instead of finding a solution among the countries in the region.”
Bilgic said that Turkey, which has hosted the largest number of refugees in the world for the past seven years, “does not have the capacity to undertake a new migration crisis on behalf of a third country.”
Turkey is already home to anywhere between 200,000 and 600,000 Afghans, most of whom have arrived in the past decade, fleeing violence and poverty https://t.co/uRywpjVjuo
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) August 1, 2021
Turkey will not take over the international responsibilities of third countries in any case and will not allow its laws to be abused by third countries for their own purposes, he added.
“No one should expect the Turkish nation to bear the burden of the migration crises caused by the decisions of third countries in our region.”
Read more: Afghanistan pins hopes for peace on Turkey talks
Biden takes responsibility for Afghan Refugees
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration recently announced that it will launch a new program to resettle certain Afghans as refugees in the United States.
The program comes as fighting surges in Afghanistan ahead of the formal completion of the U.S. troop withdrawal at the end of this month, with the Taliban pushing to capture key provincial capitals.
The administration official said the new refugee program would cover Afghans who worked for U.S.-funded projects and for U.S.-based non-government bodies and media outlets.
Read more: US planning to evacuate Afghan interpreters before withdrawal?
Anadolu agency with additional input by GVS