Türkiye reports 4.7 mln foreigners with legal status

ANKARA

Türkiye is currently home to 4.7 million legally registered foreigners, as confirmed by Atilla Toros, head of the Interior Ministry's Directorate of Migration Management.

Toros revealed the figures during a presentation at the parliament's sub-committee on migration on Oct. 5.

As of Sept. 28, there are 4.74 million foreigners with legal status in Türkiye, he said. Notably, a significant portion of this population includes 3.27 million Syrians under temporary protection, constituting around 70 percent of the total legally registered foreigners.

Among the legally registered foreigners, 1.17 million arrived in the country for purposes such as education, tourism, investment, work and trade, holding valid residence or work permits. Additionally, the country provides international protection to 287,950 foreigners.

Toros also shared statistics on the government's measures to combat irregular migration. Since June 1, 76,494 irregular migrants have been prevented from entering the country illegally, he informed.

In the fight against irregular migration, Toros said, Türkiye has implemented the "Istanbul model" project, which focuses on identifying and verifying the identity of suspected irregular migrants.

Under this initiative, law enforcement units scrutinize individuals and, if necessary, request detailed information from "mobile immigration points." Toros announced that this project would be extended to all provinces starting from Dec. 1, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to border control.

Moreover, efforts are underway to facilitate the "voluntary, safe and dignified return" of Syrian refugees, he elaborated. Toros shared that 583,618 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their homeland thus far, while the government continues its work to enable the return of 1 million Syrians in total.