Turkey Toughens Iranian Border Security In Response To Afghan Migrant Wave

AVYALIK, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: Members of the Turkish Coast Guard search for boats carrying refugees and migrants during a night patrol on the waters between Turkey and Greece on October 05, 2021 in Avyalik, Turkey. Since the U.S. pull-out from Afghanistan and the Taliban taking control of the country, Turkey has seen a steady rise in Afghan migrants entering the country illegally via a centuries-old smuggling route through Iran. To halt the flow of refugees and migrants, Turkey's law enforcement agencies have increased security along its border and taken new measures to effectively close the border to illegal migrants. "The world has to know that our borders are closed to any migrant influx," said Mehmet Emin Bilmez, governor of the eastern border province of Van. Over the past three months, construction has increased on the 230km Iran border wall which was started in 2017, as trenches, barbed wire and 24hr border security patrols have been implemented, drones have been deployed to monitor border areas and more than 6000 additional soldiers, Jandarma and police have been added to reinforce border areas and to monitor well known smuggler routes. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan recently urged European countries to step up and take responsibility in the event of a new refugee influx, stating that Turkey would not become "Europe's migrant storage unit". Turkey currently hosts more than 4.4 million refugees and migrants and has called on the international community and the United Nations to assist with any further influx. (Footage by Burak Kara/Getty Images)