A dozen young Afghan migrants tried to reach Europe in January after being smuggled across the Iranian border into Van, Turkey. They were detained by Turkish border guards, beaten, stripped of clothes, and left in a warehouse with only water and dry bread for several nights.

High winds and sub‑zero temperatures – reported at -15 °C – left the group freezing in a snow‑storm as they were forced to carry wood and clear snow by guards. They were then pushed across a treacherous mountain pass toward Iran, with 20 of the original 50 migrants later reported to have died of hypothermia.

Shahsawar, a 21‑year‑old, later described being taken to a Kabul hospital where both his hands and legs were amputated after severe frostbite. Eleven of the soldiers’ twelve interviewees reported losing limbs to frostbite; one 13‑year‑old boy, Asim, survived with partial leg amputations.

Some migrants said they were pushed through barbed‑wire fences into Iran, where they were refused medical treatment. After the Afghan embassy in Tehran intervened, the group was transported by the Red Crescent to Herat and then Kabul, but the damage to their bodies was already severe. The migrants’ voices echo a pattern of abuse reported since 2021, increasing after the Taliban’s return to power.

The Turkish foreign ministry denied the allegations, claiming all detained undocumented migrants received food, water and medical care while stating the country aims for a human‑centred migration‑management system that balances security and freedom.

These events underscore the urgent need for comprehensive safety protocols for migrants in emergency climates and for a humane response that considers medical deadlines for frostbite injury.