Uzbek citizens among top 3 in Türkiye’s illegal migration statistics

Türkiye’s Directorate General of Migration Management under the Ministry of Interior has published statistical data on the number of irregular migrants detained in the country. According to the report released on the agency’s official website, Uzbekistan ranks third after Afghanistan and Syria in terms of the number of detained migrants.

Official data show that Afghan nationals have accounted for the largest number of irregular migrants detained in recent years. In 2024, 66,815 Afghan nationals were apprehended, while the figure stood at 44,157 in 2025. Since the beginning of 2026, 5,372 Afghan nationals have been detained.

Syrian nationals rank second. In 2024, 50,641 irregular migrants from Syria were recorded, while 22,515 Syrian nationals were detained in 2025. Since the start of this year, the number has reached 2,361.

Uzbek nationals rank third among detained irregular migrants. In 2024, the figure stood at 11,521, rising to 13,685 by the end of 2025. This represents an 18.8 percent increase compared to 2024. As of February 19, 2026, 1,437 Uzbek citizens had been detained.

The statistics also include nationals of Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, and Algeria. Since the beginning of 2026, 1,354 Turkmen nationals, 1,143 Iranian nationals, 640 Iraqi nationals, 437 Egyptian nationals, 437 Moroccan nationals, 358 Sudanese nationals, and 285 Algerian nationals have been detained.

According to the data, overall figures for irregular migrants have shown a gradual decline since 2022.

Earlier, statistics on foreign brides and grooms in Türkiye for 2025 were released. In that report, Uzbek brides ranked second after Syrian nationals, accounting for 13.7 percent.