Gendermarie arrest 710+ irregular migrants in NW Turkey

By Cihan Demirci

EDIRNE, Turkey (AA) - Turkish gendarmerie forces held 713 irregular migrants in the northwestern Edirne province, bordering Greece, on Friday.

Among the migrants were the nationals of Nepal, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Morocco and Algeria.

The migrants were sent to the provincial migration office for legal procedures.

Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants aiming to cross to Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Some 268,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry, and over 336,000 have been held so far this year.