492 irregular migrants held in NW Turkey

Turkey has been main route for refugees trying to cross to Europe since 2011, beginning of Syrian civil war

By Hakan Mehmet Sahin

EDIRNE, Turkey (AA) – A total of 492 irregular migrants were held in a border city of Turkey in the northwest, security sources said on Wednesday.

The migrants -- who attempted to cross to Europe illegally -- were arrested by the local gendarmerie forces in Edirne, a Turkish province bordering Greece and Bulgaria.

The arrests came after two-days inspections by the local gendarmerie forces in Meric and Uzunkopru districts.

The irregular migrants from Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Jordan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan and Syria were later referred to provincial migration directorate.

Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross to Europe, especially since the beginning of civil war in Syria.

Some 268,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz

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