At least 20,000 Afghans live on the margins of society in Turkey, lured by promises of good wages that are never paid and smugglers who tell them it is an easy launching point for Europe. Cast aside by war in their homeland and overlooked by aid agencies focusing on Syrians, many scrape by digging through Istanbul's trash for anything they can sell to recyclers.
At least 20,000 Afghans live on the margins of society in Turkey, lured by promises of good wages that are never paid and smugglers who tell them it is an easy launching point for Europe. Cast aside by war in their homeland and overlooked by aid agencies focusing on Syrians, many scrape by digging through Istanbul's trash for anything they can sell to recyclers.