The Insecurity of Irregular Migrants: Criminal Acts Against Afghans in the Turkish–Iranian Borderland

Alper Ekmekcioğlu () and Ayşe Dere ()
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Alper Ekmekcioğlu: Gendarmerie General Command
Ayşe Dere: Gaziantep University

Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2025, vol. 26, issue 1, No 18, 445-465

Abstract: Abstract This study aims to propose an alternative path to address the acute humanitarian issues of irregular migrants in the borderlands from the perspective of public policy analysis. The study’s research question is “How to protect irregular migrants against criminal threats in borderlands?” Through semi-structured interviews with Afghan irregular migrants in migration routes in 2019–2020, this study examined unsafe experiences and insecurities in the borderland from Iran to Türkiye. This article initially examined the types of abuse experienced by migrants with spatial limitations. Based on the interviews, there are five criminal groups encountered in the borderland: migrant smugglers, other smugglers, terrorists, bandits, and groups in Iranian military uniforms. Multiple streams theory has been utilized as a theoretical framework to evaluate the vulnerabilities of irregular migrants in motion and determine the potential solution. A humanitarian reform in border policies, institutions, and structures is anticipated to achieve the transition successfully to reduce the criminal threats that irregular migrants encounter. This study offers a crime prevention policy to follow cross-border law enforcement in borderlands.

Keywords: Borderland; Irregular migrants; Criminal acts; Multiple streams theory; Law enforcement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s12134-025-01242-4

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