Turkey has mandated taxi drivers in the country to ask documents from foreigners

Taxi drivers in Turkey has been tasked with demanding for official documents from all foreigners in the country before offering them their service.

Taxi drivers, who do not ask for official documents from all foreigners wishing to make interprovincial travel, will be charged with “migrant smuggling,” according to a new regulation by the Turkish Interior Ministry.

“The decision has been sent to all chambers of commerce in all 81 provinces by the provincial immigration authorities,” the daily Milliyet reported on July 19.

According to the new regulation, when a foreigner asks a taxi driver to drive to another city, the driver will have to ask the foreigner for official documents.

“Foreigners under international protection” in Türkiye have official “Protection ID” obtained from provincial immigration offices. These foreigners will have to get a second document named “Travel Permit” from these offices before intercity travel.

The regulation says, a taxi driver should not start the intercity travel without seeing these two documents. Otherwise “the driver will be fined” and “charged with migrant smuggling.”

If the foreigner is a tourist, he or she can only “make the ride after showing passports.”

There is also another mandatory requirement for the Syrians under temporary protection in Türkiye.

“They will have to show the taxi drivers their temporary protection identity documents and travel permits obtained from local authorities before the intercity travels,” the daily said.

Foreigners, legally entering the country and applying for residence permit, will be given a residence permit application document.

“These foreigners will have to carry these documents on their interprovincial rides,” the daily added.