Nigerians and other Africans experiencing deportation from Northern Cyprus and Turkey have been subjected to racism, physical assaults, and dehumanizing treatment, as revealed in an exclusive report obtained by Parallel Facts.
The deportation of Nigerians from these regions has surged in recent months.
Upon being deported from Northern Cyprus, individuals are frequently re-arrested upon arrival in Istanbul for their connecting flights, subsequently sent to a detention center where their futures remain uncertain.
Many have been left stranded for extended periods, and some are coerced into covering the costs of their deportation flights back to Nigeria.
Anonymous victims also report threats of potential imprisonment.
One of the victims who spoke to Parallel Fact said, “We were 15 in my room, and other rooms had more people; some slept on the floor and in the corridors. We were assaulted by Turkish authorities when we asked when we were going to be deported; some of us were there for a month.
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“Some people got beaten up so much and got dragged on the floor without medical care. I fell ill, and no one gave me medical attention. Another Nigerian had her ticket canceled, saying she possessed an invalid visa even after living in Turkey for years. They separated her from her husband and kid, misplaced her passport, and endlessly beat her when she asked for her jewelry and property. It got so bad that they dragged her on the floor after multiple beatings.”
According to the victim, there are many Nigerians still stuck at the detention center, as many cannot afford the flight ticket back home.
Anti-immigration rhetoric continues to ramp up in many parts of the world, with far-right politicians winning elections across Europe. The plight of Africans is often overlooked in places like Turkey by more Western countries.
Many Nigerians currently without legal residence in Northern Cyprus are contemplating smuggling themselves into South Cyprus, a country governed by EU laws, for better treatment and deportation, as the horrors of the detention in Northern Cyprus and Turkey have shocked the Nigerian community in Northern Cyprus and Turkey.