In Pictures
In Pictures: Turkey’s Afghan refugees
Displaced Afghans live in legal limbo in Turkey, and struggle to access employment and welfare services.
Ankara, Turkey – Decades of war have ripped Afghanistan’s society apart.
Despite combat slowing between NATO forces and the Taliban, the war is still felt by thousands of refugees. Many of those displaced have sought refugee and asylum status in Turkey. In May 2013, however, the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) stopped accepting applications from Afghans, and froze all the ones that were being processed.
Now, many of these Afghan refugees live in a constant state of uncertainty. They can’t get work permits, are plagued with impoverished living conditions, and have little means to advocate for themselves. Many feel forgotten.
In order to make their situation known, Afghan refugees from across Turkey have camped out in front of the UNHCR office in Ankara, in protest of their living conditions.