The arrested Somali refugees accused Somali embassy in Turkey of being behind the arrests, saying that their relatives of Somali ambassador were not arrested, because they were informed and escaped while there is yet a time.
Turkish police on Friday apprehended 43 Somali asylum-seekers after a heavy crackdown in Istanbul, witnesses said.
Police were apparently searching only the houses of Somali refugees, according to one of the arrested.
“On Friday, about 4:30, a large number of Istanbul police have encompassed a home and got into house taking all Somali asylum seekers into custody,” a Somali woman who spoke on condition of anonymity, told BBC Somali Service by telephone.
She said she didn't know what prompted the arrests.
Another jailed man said all Somali refugees were given deportation papers.
“A number of my colleagues were released after claiming they were from Eritrea,” he added.
The arrested refugees accused the Somali embassy in Turkey of being behind the arrests, saying that relatives of the Somali ambassador were not arrested because they were informed beforehand and escaped.
Abdulkadir Mohammed Nur, a diplomat at the Somali embassy, denied the claims.
Nur said that the government of Turkey is trying to distinguish between Somali people and other immigrants who customarily claim to be Somalis.
“We asked Turkey not deport Somali refugees, but the last decision is for the government of this country whether it allows or denies living in it,” he spelled out.
Asked if the embassy demanded the arrest of Somalis, the diplomat replied that the Turkish government has this year decided to limit the aliens flooding into its borders.
Source: www.allheadlinenews.com
No comments:
Post a Comment