More than 500 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 Salih Baran

EDIRNE, Turkey (AA) - A total of 527 irregular migrants were held in northwestern Turkey, security sources said on Tuesday.

The migrants -- who attempted to cross to Europe illegally -- were held by the local gendarmerie forces in the Ipsala, Meric, Uzunkopru, and Enez districts of Edirne, a Turkish province bordering Greece and Bulgaria.

The irregular migrants that included Eritrean, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Moroccan, Algerian, Syrian and Afghan nationals 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 Davut Demircan

Kaynak: