90 irregular migrants held in northwestern Turkey

By Kadir Yildiz

KOCAELI, Turkey (AA) - Police held at least 90 irregular migrants in northwestern Turkey, sources said Monday.

Local police teams in the province of Kocaeli held the migrants at different addresses where they were hiding in the Darica district.

All 90 migrants were Afghan nationals, the sources noted.

Four people were arrested during the operations over allegations of human smuggling.

The migrants were transferred to the provincial repatriation center.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

It hosts nearly four million refugees, including more than 3.6 million Syrians, the most of any country in the world.

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara