Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) made separate allegations Friday that Turkey has been illegally deporting refugees back into Syria since January. These allegations stem from investigations performed by each organization in which they conducted interviews with refugees possessing evidence that Turkey has violated international non-refoulement laws.

Amnesty found 20 definitive cases where refugees were “tricked or forced into returning.” HRW found 14 similar cases. Both organizations believe that the actual number is much higher. According to Amnesty:

Contrary to the Turkish authorities’ claims that they do not deport anyone to Syria, in mid-2019 it is likely that hundreds of people across Turkey were swept up, detained, and transported against their will to one of the world’s most dangerous countries.

Amnesty’s investigation, which reaches back to January of this year, included interviews with “refugees who said Turkish police had beaten or threatened them into signing documents stating they were asking to return to Syria.” Other refugees were reportedly tricked into signing documents that they were told stated they wished to remain in Turkey, that were required for registration, or were “confirming the receipt of a blanket from the detention center.”

These “voluntary returns,” as the Turkish government labels them, were then deported to some of the most dangerous regions in regions in Syria, most commonly Idlib or Aleppo. Many of those deported also allege that they were put in restraints and beaten throughout the journey back to Syria. The majority of these alleged deportations are men, but several including women and children have been confirmed. Turkey currently hosts more than four million Syrian refugees. However, also mentioned in the report is the fact that “Turkish authorities claim that a total of 315,000 people have left for Syria on an entirely voluntary basis.”

The allegations also state that Turkey has violated international non-refoulement laws by carrying out these deportations. These laws prohibit nations from moving migrants from their country to their country of origin “when there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be at risk of irreparable harm upon return, including persecution, torture, ill-treatment or other serious human rights violations.” Not only do the reports illustrate that such harms are present in Syria, several of those interviewed experienced such harms upon their return.

The Turkish foreign ministry spokesman, Hami Aksoy, has unequivocally denied allegations of forced deportations.

These allegations come amid a turbulent time politically for Turkey as they are also facing accusations of war crimes during their recent conflict in Syria. The increased scrutiny into Turkey’s policies on “voluntary returns” specifically, and refugees as a whole, may uncover more evidence exonerating them or sparking greater condemnation. If Turkey is found to have violated international non-refoulement laws, it could face increased sanctions or even action in an international court.