Syrian refugees arrive at the Oncupinar crossing gate, close to the town of Kilis, south central Turkey, in order to cross to Syria for the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday, on August 28, 2017. (AFP photo)
ANKARA, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities estimated that the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey will exceed 5 million in 2028, local media reported on Friday.
Turkish government granted temporary protection status for 3,545,293 Syrian refugees and 204,288 of them live in camps, the daily Hurriyet reported, citing figures of Turkey's immigration authority and ombudsman institution.
Turkey's biggest metropolis Istanbul is hosting 564,189 Syrian refugees, most in the country.
The number of male Syrian refugees in Turkey is 1,922,410, while female are 1,622,883. Almost half of the refugees are under the age of 18, said the report. A total of 535,826 Syrian babies under the age of four are born in Turkey and they are still stateless.
Turkey hosts more refugees than any other country in the world, but the government is under pressure of heavy costs estimated at 30 billion U.S. dollars since 2011, according to official figures.
"We want our refugee brothers and sisters to return to their land," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in February.
