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Turkish citizens were the second biggest group of foreign nationals, following Syrians, who entered Germany illegally in 2023, according to a report from the German Federal Criminal Police Office, or Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).
In 2023, 35,731 illegal Turkish migrants made their way to Germany, while Syrians topped the list of illegal migrants with 54,207 people.
Afghans were the third largest group of people illegally entering the country in 2023 with 35,370.
The BKA report, which based its data on EU border agency Frontex, showed that there was a significant increase in illegal migration to Europe in 2023, with Germany being the main destination.
In total around 380,200 illegal crossings, the highest annual figure since 2016, across the EU/Schengen external borders were recorded by Frontex in 2023, while this figure was around 326,300 in 2022.
The fact that Turks are among the citizens from war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan who flee to Germany and elsewhere no longer comes as a surprise to many.
Since a coup attempt in 2016, thousands of people had to flee Turkey due a widespread crackdown launched by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on non-loyalist citizens under the pretext of an anti-coup fight.
These people, some of whom had to flee the country illegally by way of the Aegean Sea or Evros River land border because their passports had been canceled under state of emergency measures taken by the government, applied for asylum in Europe and other countries.
An ongoing economic crisis in the country caused by skyrocketing inflation and the constant depreciation of the Turkish lira as well as rising inequalities among the population is also prompting some Turks, particularly the young, to seek ways to leave the country for a better life and better career opportunities in Europe.