91 irregular migrants held in western Turkey

By Safak Yel

IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - As many as 91 irregular migrants were held in western Turkey on Tuesday, a security source said.

The migrants, including children, were found hidden in three containers in a warehouse of a factory in the Torbali district of Izmir province, said the source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Gendarmerie command teams acted on a tip that some containers in the warehouse will be used for illegal crossings and found foreign nationals hiding behind food parcels in the containers.

The migrants are said to be in good health.

The source said that the containers were prepared to be sent to Italy.

Identification procedures for the irregular migrants were in progress, it said.

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

*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin

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