Human Rights Watch Reports Increased Deportation Risks for Uyghurs in Turkey

HRW Details Deteriorating Conditions for Uyghurs in Turkey

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a comprehensive report titled 'Protected No More: Uyghurs in Türkiye,' highlighting a significant shift in Turkey's treatment of its Uyghur community. The report, published around November 12-14, 2025, indicates that Turkish authorities are increasingly restricting the legal stay of Uyghurs and deporting some to third countries, despite the well-documented risks of their eventual return to China.

Historically, Turkey has been a refuge for Uyghurs due to shared ethnic and cultural ties, with an estimated 50,000 Uyghurs residing in the country. However, HRW's findings suggest that since 2022, as relations between Turkey and China have reportedly warmed and Turkey has adopted stricter anti-immigration policies, the safety net for Uyghurs without Turkish citizenship has eroded.

Arbitrary 'Restriction Codes' and Detention Concerns

The HRW report details several mechanisms through which Uyghurs' legal status is being undermined. A primary concern is the arbitrary assignment of 'restriction codes,' such as 'G87,' to Uyghurs' records. These codes often label individuals as 'public security threats' without clear justification, leading to a cascade of negative consequences. Such designations can result in the denial of citizenship, international protection, or residency status, effectively rendering many Uyghurs 'irregular migrants' and vulnerable to deportation.

The report also highlights concerns about the conditions in Turkish deportation centers. HRW found press reports of 33 Uyghurs detained in these centers between December 2018 and October 2025, with a local NGO documenting over 100 Uyghurs held in 2024 alone. Interviewed Uyghurs and lawyers reported ill-treatment and pressure to sign 'voluntary return' forms, which could facilitate their removal to countries with extradition agreements with China.

Risk of Refoulement and Judicial Challenges

A critical aspect of the HRW report is the violation of the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to a place where they face a real risk of persecution or severe human rights abuses. If returned to China, Uyghurs face a high risk of detention, interrogation, torture, and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

HRW reviewed five court decisions from 2024 and 2025 concerning deportation order appeals by Uyghurs. In each case, the courts upheld the deportation orders, often without explaining the basis for the 'public security threat' designation and ruling that the non-refoulement principle did not apply, claiming applicants failed to prove risk of ill-treatment in China. While the Turkish government maintains it has never directly deported Uyghurs to China, HRW notes a reported incident in May 2018 of three direct deportations, and indirect refoulement cases, such as a June 2019 deportation to Tajikistan that reportedly led to return to China.

Calls for Action

In response to its findings, Human Rights Watch has urged the Turkish government to immediately halt all deportations of Uyghurs, including to third countries, and to recognize them as refugees on a prima facie basis. Furthermore, HRW called on other governments to suspend transfers of Uyghurs to Turkey, arguing that it can no longer be considered a safe third country for them, and to consider resettling Uyghur refugees from Turkey.