At least 40 irregular migrants held across Turkey

By Necat Hazar

ANKARA (AA) - At least 40 irregular migrants were held across Turkey, security sources said on Friday.

In the eastern province of Van, bordering Iran, gendarmerie forces rounded up 32 irregular migrants which entered Turkey illegally, said a security source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Separately, in the northwestern province of Edirne -- bordering Greece and Bulgaria -- eight irregular migrants were held by the gendarmerie.

The Afghan, Pakistani, and Cameroonian nationals were referred to provincial migration directorates.

In recent years, Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross to Europe, especially since 2011 with the start of the Syrian civil war.

More than 265,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to Turkey's Interior Ministry.