Erdoğan criticises West for avoiding responsibility in refugee crisis

The West is unwilling to share the burden of caring for refugees, despite its policies driving millions into displacement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated.

At the "Turkish Model of Migration Management in Türkiye’s Centennial" event in Istanbul, Erdoğan highlighted that while Western nations' actions are often the root cause of the refugee crisis, they fail to take responsibility for the consequences or help manage the flow of displaced peopleç Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Erdoğan discussed the situation of Syrian refugees in Türkiye, noting that despite various challenges and setbacks, Syria is gradually recovering. He observed an increase in the number of Syrians returning home as the country rebuilds.

As of December 9, 2024, approximately 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria after seeking refuge in Türkiye, Erdoğan reported.

The president also highlighted UN statistics, revealing that the global migrant population stands at about 281 million, with over 165 million of them being labour migrants.

He further pointed out that the number of refugees worldwide has reached 120 million due to conflicts over the past three to four years. In fact, data shows that every minute, 20 people are forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and terrorism.

Erdoğan noted that many countries are struggling to manage the influx of migrants, a situation that has contributed to rising cases of racism and discrimination in these regions.

By Khagan Isayev