On Sunday, December 9, 2007, a small boat that carried 7 people, a captain and six Uzbek refugees, sank into the sea on its way to Cyprus in the Mediterranean province of Antalya’s Gazipasa town, Turkey, says Turkish Daily News. The captain of the boat and three Uzbeks had been rescued by local fishermen. The bodies of the rest three Uzbek refugees still cannot be found. News Agency Fergana.ru writes that names of all Uzbekistani citizens on the boat are identified. They are (rescued) Nuriddin Bazarov, Sali Abieva, Shukurullo, and (drowned) Turahan Karimov, Bahadyr Shadiev, and Ramish. The captain of the boat is a citizen of Turkey Ersin Kysadjyk.

The Turkish Daily News says that rescued refugees will be deported to their home countries. Though, according to International Laws, refugees, whose status is confirmed by United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), cannot be sent back to their home countries, as they may face ill-treatment or torture (that in Uzbekistan often leads to death). Officials of Turkey are, of course, aware of this kind of laws and would not violate them being under close watch of EU, especially in favor of Uzbekistan, since the relationship of Turkey with Uzbekistan is not that well. Therefore, I guess that these Uzbekistani citizens, who were crossing Mediterranean, were not refugees, but migrant workers, who were illegally working in Turkey and wanted to move to Cyprus, as the working season for them in Turkey was over. Almost all migrant workers from Central Asian countries in Turkey, who mostly work illegally as they cannot afford visa expenses, work in tourism facilities, like hotels. Winter is usually a dead season for such facilities and migrant workers either have to go back to their home countries the country paying expensive fees and get persona non grata status period that may last usually from 8 to 24 months, or illegally leave somewhere else. Therefore, I am sure that those Uzbek people were not refugees, but migrant workers. Turkish News agencies, who are labeling these Uzbekistani citizens as refugees, can eventually harm them. Once deported, these migrant workers may face really big problems in Uzbekistan, as the Uzbek officials do not tolerate those who seek asylum abroad.

Similar accident happened during the night of the same day, when, according to the Turkish Daily News, “a boat carrying around 70 illegal immigrants, who were trying to make their way to Greece, sank off Turkey’s Aegean coast resulting in the death of 51 people thus far while six have been rescued.” Turkey is known as a buffer zone for those from Asia and Africa, who want to illegally move to EU seeking for jobs and better life.

It is very hard to find information about the Uzbekistani citizens, whose boat drowned in Mediterranean. I think the government of Turkey should clarify its position towards these people as soon as possible and consider them as illegal migrants rather then refugees, as labeling them as refugees and sending them back to Uzbekistan may cause serious problems that may end up with their death.