Turkey’s Mobile Migration Checkpoint Vehicles to Be Deployed in the TRNC

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that a migration center will be rapidly established in the TRNC, and these vehicles will be used to speed up the identification of foreign nationals unable to provide identification during security inspections.

What Are Mobile Migration Checkpoint Vehicles?

These specially equipped vehicles are designed to assist security forces in verifying the identities of foreigners who fail to present valid identification. Each vehicle is staffed with a migration expert and an interpreter.

Individuals unable to provide identification are invited into the vehicle, where their fingerprints and biometric data are checked against Turkey’s GöçNet database. If the system detects that a person has no legal residency status, deportation procedures are initiated, and the individual is transferred to a repatriation center.

A Rapidly Expanding System

Initially launched as a pilot program in Istanbul on July 19, 2023, the system was expanded to 30 major cities across Turkey by December 1, 2023. The number of vehicles in Istanbul alone reached 103, while the total nationwide reached 162, significantly enhancing the efficiency of migration inspections.

This initiative is considered a global first in the use of technology to streamline migration procedures and improve security operations. With its upcoming deployment in the TRNC, authorities aim to enhance migration management and border security on the island.