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Turkey suspends flights to Afghanistan and Iran

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Last Updated on: October 25, 2022

Turkey on Sunday suspended flights from Iran and Afghanistan in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry, Anadolu Agency reported.

“Flights to Iran and Afghanistan from Turkey have been suspended by our government as part of preventive measures against coronavirus,” said the ministry in a statement.

The airline sector has been one of the hardest hit as countries lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.

A message to passengers meanwhile, on Turkish Airlines’ website currently reads: “Some of our July flights have been suspended in accordance with updated coronavirus protocols regarding international flights.”

Sunday’s move to cancel flights comes after Iran’s president on Saturday estimated as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected with the coronavirus since the outbreak’s beginning and urged the public to take the pandemic seriously, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

President Hassan Rouhani cited a new Iranian Health Ministry study in offering the unprecedentedly high number of infections. 

Officials have not explained what the report’s estimates are based on and the study has not been made public. 

Rouhani also said he believes an additional 30-35 million people could be infected in the coming months, again without citing the basis for his estimate. 

Iran’s population is around 81 million people.

Iran has seen the worst outbreak in the Middle East, with more than 270,000 confirmed cases and at least 13,979 deaths.

 

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IEA ambassador meets UNHCR head in Pakistan to address Afghan refugee issues

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Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Islamabad, met with Oscar Manuel Sanchez, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan, to discuss the problems faced by Afghan refugees at registration and check-in centers.

According to a statement from the Afghan Embassy in Pakistan, Shakeeb proposed during the meeting that the registration process—carried out by UNHCR in cooperation with Pakistan’s NADRA authority—should be strengthened by increasing the number of mobile units. These units would be deployed to all districts and zones so that refugees can avoid long queues and have their other issues addressed more efficiently.

He also pointed to the problems faced by Afghan students, stating that they encounter serious challenges in the verification of their academic documents. He emphasized that this issue should be treated as a humanitarian matter and receive attention from all relevant parties.

During the meeting, the UNHCR head assured that necessary measures would be taken to improve facilities at the VRC (Voluntary Repatriation Centers). He added that the issue of Afghan students’ documents had previously been raised with the relevant Pakistani authorities and would continue to be followed up.

Sanchez further announced that the organization would establish a special center for handling complaints and scheduling appointments, enabling Afghan refugees to directly raise their concerns through designated phone numbers.

He also requested Ahmad Shakib to grant permission for a number of United Nations vehicles carrying humanitarian aid, currently held up in Pakistan, to enter Afghanistan.

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Albanian PM criticizes NATO’s Afghanistan withdrawal

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Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has criticized NATO over its handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, describing the exit as “shameful.”

Speaking at the Delphi Economic Forum, Rama said that while Albania is a NATO member, it has limited influence over the alliance’s decisions. He noted that member states tend to share credit when NATO actions are seen as successful, such as its role in Kosovo, but shift blame when outcomes are negative.

Referring to the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Rama said NATO’s exit reflected poorly on the alliance and its member states.

He added that Albania accepted thousands of Afghan evacuees following the fall of Kabul, describing the situation as difficult and noting that many European countries were reluctant to host them.

Rama’s remarks highlight ongoing debate in Europe over responsibility for the Afghanistan withdrawal and the treatment of Afghan refugees in its aftermath.

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Poland deports three Afghan asylum seekers despite European court order

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Poland has deported three Afghan asylum seekers to Kabul despite an interim ruling by the European Court of Human Rights ordering a halt to their removal, according to Polish media reports.

The case was reported by OKO.press, which said the deportations took place earlier this month as part of a planned operation involving a group of Afghan nationals.

According to the report, Polish authorities had scheduled the deportation of nine Afghan migrants on April 10. However, the European Court issued urgent interim measures instructing Poland to suspend the deportations, citing concerns over the safety of the individuals if returned to Afghanistan.

Despite being informed of the court’s decision prior to the flight, Polish authorities proceeded with the deportation of three individuals to Kabul, while the remaining cases were halted.

 

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