Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign Calls Attention to Human Rights Watch Findings on Türkiye’s Failure to Protect Uyghurs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov 20, 2025

Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign is deeply concerned following Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) newly released report, “Protected No More: Uyghurs in Türkiye.” The report warns that Türkiye, long viewed as a lifeline for Uyghur refugees, has rapidly become an increasingly dangerous environment for those fleeing China’s atrocities. HRW documents a sharp deterioration in legal protections, the expanded use of vague “restriction codes,” and mounting cases of arbitrary detention and deportation pressure, leaving thousands of Uyghur families living in fear for their safety.

The findings outline how Turkish authorities are cancelling residence permits, denying citizenship applications, and detaining Uyghurs in overcrowded deportation centers where some have been pressured into signing “voluntary return” forms. “What HRW documented confirms what our community has felt for years; Uyghurs in Türkiye are losing the protections they once relied on,” said Arslan Hidayat, Save Uyghur Team Lead. “We are hearing from Uyghurs terrified to renew their documents, afraid to leave their homes, and families facing real threats of refoulement to a place where crimes against humanity are ongoing.”

President of Justice For All Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid underscored the responsibility facing Muslim governments: “This report shows that Uyghurs remain vulnerable even outside China. When families fear detention every time they leave their homes, it is clear the systems meant to protect them are falling short. We call on Türkiye and all Muslim-majority nations to renew their commitment to those fleeing oppression and to uphold their duty to safeguard those escaping genocide.”

The report underscores that Türkiye is failing to uphold its obligations under international law, including the prohibition on refoulement, while China’s transnational repression continues to shape the risks Uyghurs face abroad through pressure, intimidation, and manipulation of immigration systems. In response, Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign is urging the international community to act with urgency, expand resettlement pathways, closely monitor Türkiye’s treatment of Uyghur refugees, and confront China’s ongoing crimes against humanity, as Uyghur families remain trapped between the repression they fled and the shrinking protections they now face.

Contact Information: Hena Zuberi, Director Of Advocacy

Email: hena@justiceforall.org. Phone: 202-908-JUST

Website: https://www.justiceforall.org/save-uighur/