Turkish Airlines has introduced additional checks for citizens of Central Asian countries flying from Istanbul to Latin America, in order to reduce the possible influx of migrants to the United States’ southern border with Mexico.

An announcement on the Turkish Airlines website reads: “In addition to general regulations such as passport data and visa requirements for passenger acceptance, additional checks may be applied to our flights arriving in Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil”.

In addition to a visa, the airline now requires passengers to show return tickets, a paid hotel reservation in the host country, and proof of financial resources sufficient for the trip. The reason is that most migrants trying to get to the U.S. transit through those listed Latin American countries. Citizens of Central Asian countries do not need a visa to get to Turkey, with the exception of Turkmenistan.

Because of the new restrictions, dozens of passengers are now stuck at the airport in Istanbul and can’t leave — they were simply not allowed on previously purchased Turkish Airlines flights. These stranded passengers are also not being refunded for their tickets, because most of these people purchased the cheapest, non-refundable, flights.

According to the U.S. State Department, a record number of migrants trying to enter the country — more than 2.5 million people – – congregated at the border with Mexico in 2023, and the restrictions imposed by Turkey’s flagship airline are seen as part of a multinational effort to reduce the flow of migrants into the U.S.  According to U.S. Customs & Border Patrol statistics, 140,000 illegal migrants have entered through the San Diego (California) border sector since the beginning of the year. Among them are 2,500 people from Uzbekistan, 500 citizens of Tajikistan, and 400 citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

According to some analysts, in the event that Turkey is closed as a transit country for immigration to the U.S., Central Asians may start flying through the UAE.