Afghan Migrants Endure Brutal Torture in Turkey, Facing Fatal Frostbite

Mon Sep 14 2026 08:15:26 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A group of 12 Afghan men and boys were beaten, stripped and left to die of frostbite by Turkish border guards before being sent to Afghanistan.

In January, 12 young Afghan migrants captured near Van, Turkey, endured brutal beating, sexual stripping and forced labour in sub‑freezing winter before being sent across the Iran‑Turkish border. They were abandoned amidst snowfall, resulting in severe frostbite that left 11 of the 12 men and boys with permanent amputations. Patients were later transported to Kabul where amputations were performed. Turkish officials deny the allegations, claiming they complied with international aid protocols. Human‑rights activists point to ongoing push‑backs and warnings of hypothermia in the region.

Afghan Migrants Endure Brutal Torture in Turkey, Facing Fatal Frostbite

In mid‑January, a dozen undocumented Afghan migrants were seized in Van, a city in eastern Turkey, by border guards who then subjected them to violent assaults, strip‑down and forced labour in the bitterly cold winter.

They were lined up, beaten with iron bars, and left in a warehouse while snow fell outside. The guards gave them only water and dry bread once a day, and then pushed them through barbed wire towards the Iranian border. The journey across the snow‑covered mountains cost at least 20 lives and left eleven men and boys with severe frostbite. One 21‑year‑old, Shahsawar, later emerged from a Kabul hospital with both hands and legs amputated.

The migrants’ accounts explain that they were forced to crawl on their stomachs and that their clothes were stripped. The Turkish foreign ministry denies the allegations, asserting that the migrants were provided necessary assistance, including food, water and medical care, in compliance with national and international law.

Despite the ministry’s statement, human‑rights activists from Van’s Human Rights Centre and the Red Crescent report repeated incidents of push‑backs and denial of asylum after 2021 when the Taliban returned to power in Kabul. They note that the steep, snow‑laden routes the migrants used are especially hazardous, and they call for independent investigations into the treatment of Afghan refugees crossing the Iran‑Turkey border.

Following a diplomatic request, the Afghan embassy in Tehran transferred the survivors by Red Crescent to Herat and eventually to Kabul for treatment. Some of the severely frost‑bitten men and boys required amputation because timely medical intervention was not possible. Reports suggest that most of the untreated toes and limbs were amputated in Kabul to prevent infection.

The incident has drawn international attention, with observers criticizing Turkey for its handling of migrant push‑backs, while Turkish officials maintain that they uphold a human‑centred migration system aimed at balancing security and humanitarian values.

For related coverage, visit the BBC and local human‑rights organisations for further updates on Afghan migration and border policies.