Turkey is risking the lives of Syrian refugees by “forcing them to return to a war zone,” human rights groups have said.

Dozens of Syrians have been “arbitrarily” detained by Turkish authorities and deported across the border to a region where fighting continues, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International.

Both organisations, in statements issued separately on Friday, said they had spoken to refugees who claimed to have been beaten, threatened, or forced by police to sign documents stating they were returning voluntarily to their homeland.

Turkey currently hosts about 3.6 million refugees who fled Syria‘s eight-year-long civil war. With public sentiment towards them souring, Ankara hopes to resettle up to two million in a planned “safe zone” in northeast Syria.

But the United Nations has warned the “vast majority” of Syrian asylum-seekers “continue to need international refugee protection” and should not be forcibly returned.

Turkey launches offensive into Syria Show all 25 1 /25 Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkish soldiers with armored vehicles EPA Turkey launches offensive into Syria A woman flees with her children during Turkish bombardment on Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Smoke billows following Turkish bombardment on Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain in the Hasakeh province along the Turkish border on October 9, 2019. - Turkey launched an assault on Kurdish forces in northern Syria with air strikes and explosions reported along the border. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of the attack on Twitter, labelling it "Operation Peace Spring". (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images) DELIL SOULEIMAN AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria The first group of Turkish infantry prepare to enter Syria on the border Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians flee AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Smoke billows from targets inside Syria AP Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkish armoured vehicles enter Syria in Akcakale Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians leave as smoke rises from Ras al-Ain AFP Turkey launches offensive into Syria A multi-rocket launcher fires in an unknown location Turkish Defence Ministry via Reuters Turkey launches offensive into Syria People wave as Turkish soldiers prepare to cross the border Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Girls stand together in Ras al Ain town Reuters Turkey launches offensive into Syria A woman walks as smoke billows following Turkish bombardment in Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria A Turkish army's tank drives down from a truck towards the border with Syria AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkish jet taxis on tarmac after returning to a military base in southeast Diyarbakir Reuters Turkey launches offensive into Syria A Turkish armored vehicle drives down a road during a military operation in Kurdish areas of northern Syria EPA Turkey launches offensive into Syria People sit on belongings at a back of a truck as they flee Ras al Ain town Reuters Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters enter Tel Abyad AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians flee AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria People flee Tal Abyad North Press Agency/Reuters TV Turkey launches offensive into Syria People wave as Turkish soldiers prepare to cross the border into Syria Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians flee with their belongings AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians flee during Turkish bombardment on Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain in the Hasakeh province along the Turkish border on October 9, 2019. - Turkey launched a broad assault on Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria today, with intensive bombardment paving the way for an invasion made possible by the withdrawal of US troops. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images) DELIL SOULEIMAN AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, speaks with Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, left, as they watch the operation by Turkish forces in Kurdish areas EPA Turkey launches offensive into Syria Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkey-backed members of Syrian National Army prepare for moving to Turkey with heavy armed vehicles EPA

Amnesty said it had been able to confirm 20 cases of forced deportations, based on interviews conducted between July and October, but believed there to be hundreds more.

HRW accused authorities in the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Antakya of unlawfully deporting dozens of Syrians “and possibly many more” to northern Syria’s Idlib province.

More than 1,000 civilian have been killed in and around the Idlib demilitarised zone since April, according to the United Nations, which said Bashar al-Assad’s regime and its allies were responsible for nearly all of those deaths.

The Turkish government claimed about 350,000 Syrian refugees had voluntarily returned to their country.

“In reality, Turkey put the lives of Syrian refugees under serious danger by forcing them to return to a war zone,” Amnesty International said.

There was no immediate reaction to reports from Ankara.

In July, Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu denied the country had deported any Syrians but said anyone “who voluntarily wants to go back to Syria” could benefit from procedures allowing them to return to unspecified “safe areas”.

But Gerry Simpson, associate crisis and conflict director at HRW, said: “Turkish officials’ claims that all Syrians returning to their country are happy to go ring hollow in the face of evidence to the contrary.”

Some Syrians told the organisation they had been deported to Idlib along with busloads of others refugees over the summer.

“Turkey hosts four times as many Syrians as the European Union, but that does not mean it can return them to a war zone,” Mr Simpson said.

Anna Shea, Amnesty’s Researcher on Refugee and Migrant Rights, said Turkey deserved recognition for hosting so many Syrians over many years but “it cannot use this generosity as an excuse to flout international and domestic law by deporting people to an active conflict zone”.

A plan agreed between Turkey and Russia this week envisages Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters being removed from a 19-mile strip of territory along the Turkish border and refugees returning there “in a safe and voluntary manner”.

Addressing world leaders at the United Nations in September, Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan set out proposals to build dozens of new villages and towns in the planned safe zone along the border.

Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak claimed on Friday that life would “normalise” in the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn now Turkey had taken control of the area from the YPG.