Over 330 undocumented migrants held in Turkey

By Cihan Demirci

EDIRNE, Turkey (AA) - A total of 333 undocumented migrants were held across Turkey, security sources said on Wednesday.

In the northwestern Edirne province, gendarme and border units held 226 undocumented migrants during a patrol in the Kesan, Uzunkopru and Meric districts, said a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media.

Among the migrants attempting illegal crossings were Syrian, Pakistani, Afghan, and Palestinian nationals.

The migrants were later referred to the provincial migration authority.

In Canakkale, another northwestern province, the coast guard held 36 Afghan nationals after spotting a rubber raft off Kadirga Point, heading for the Greek island of Lesbos.

Gendarmerie officers held another 51 undocumented Afghan, Irani, Pakistani and Angolan migrants when they stopped a van in a turnout for Assos in the Ayvalik district.

Four people, including the driver, were detained for organizing the illegal crossing.

Separately, 14 Afghan nationals were arrested in the northwestern Kocaeli province during an operation into an unused mushroom farm, while police held six others in the southern Hatay province who stopped a car in the Kirikhan district.

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