At least 37 irregular migrants held across Turkey

By Ozgun Tiran and Erdal Turkoglu

KIRKLARELI / HATAY, Turkey (AA) - At least 37 irregular migrants who entered Turkey through illegal means were held on Friday, according to security sources.

In the northwestern province of Kirklareli, seven Afghan nationals were held by gendarmerie forces.

After routine procedures, they were transferred to a nearby repatriation center.

Separately, police in southern Hatay province, which borders Syria, rounded up 30 migrants.

The police teams stopped two minibuses during a traffic check following a tip-off on migrant smuggling in the town of Belen.

The Syrian nationals, and their facilitators were then transferred to the provincial migration office for deportation procedures.

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

Turkey already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any country in the world, and is taking new security measures on its borders to prevent a fresh influx.

*Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara