20 June is World Refugee Day. Refugees, who had to leave their country, sometimes die in harsh winter conditions, sometimes in a traffic accident, and sometimes shot by the bullets of soldiers on the border line. Thousands of people fleeing Asian countries, especially Afghanistan and Pakistan, cross into Van before going to Europe. Many of these refugees, who crossed the border through Turkish soldiers and smugglers, move to other cities on Van, while some stay in the city.

Refugees are entering Van, especially from the borders of Ebex (Çaldıran), Qerqelî (Özalp), Sêrê (Saray) and Elbak (Baskale).

Refugees then cross to Tatvan via road or Lake Van. Some of the refugees coming to Van go to other cities via the Panos (Patnos) district of Agirî by road.

According to official figures, between 2019 and 2022, 49 immigrants froze to death in Van, 68 drowned in Van Lake, and 42 died in traffic accidents. Three refugees were killed by the soldiers.

61 refugees lost their lives as a result of the sinking of the boat carrying them in Altınsaç District of Westan (Gevaş) on 27 June.

The bodies of more than 20 refugees who died three years ago could not be reached. 11 people out of 12 arrested in connection with the disaster were released. Only the boat captain, Medeni Akbaş, was imprisoned as the person responsible for the disaster.

Here are some of the incidents where refugees' right to life was violated and they were subjected to heavy treatment in Van and its surroundings:

* A child lost his life and 12 people were injured as a result of the fire opened by the soldiers on the minibus carrying refugees near the village of Karahisar in the Sêrê district of Van.

* Two contracted soldiers in the Sêrê district of Van raped an Afghan woman.

* In January 2022, 2 refugees froze to death in Amanyurt, in Sêrê district.

* In 2020, the bodies of 3 refugees trying to cross the Rojhilat border to Elbak were found.

* After the snow melted on the border of Elbak and Rojhilat, the bodies of 21 refugees were found.

* In 2020, 40 people from a group of 300 refugees trying to cross to Van in Iran froze to death.

* In 2020, 13 refugees froze to death in the neighbourhood of Sarıçimen in Ebex.

* In 2019, 7 people lost their lives when a boat carrying refugees capsized in the Elcewaz (Adilcevaz) district of Bitlis (Bedlîs).

* After the snow melted in Elbak, the bodies of 25 refugees were discovered between 1 April 2019 and 6 May 2019. It turned out that 24 of the refugees froze to death and 1 person was shot dead.

* On 12 April 2019, the frozen bodies of 6 refugees were found on the Iran-Van border.

* On 11 July 2022, 13 refugees lost their lives and 26 were injured as a result of the accident in a minibus carrying refugees in the Karahan region on the Van- Erciş highway.

In 2019, at least 17 refugees lost their lives and 17 others were injured when a minibus carrying them crashed near the Erçek District of Ipekyolu on the Van-Qerqelî highway.

* Turkish soldiers, who opened fire on refugees in Van on 7 January 2023, killed 2 of them.

The identities of most of the refugees who lost their lives in Van cannot be determined.

The bodies of refugees who died due to cold, accidents, drowning in Lake Van, or killed by soldiers at the border, are buried in the Cemetery for the Orphans in the Seyrantepe District of Van.