By Sefa Sahin
ANKARA (AA) – A total of 1,261 irregular migrants were held in Turkiye as part of operations by security forces, the country’s Interior Ministry reported Saturday.
Nearly 43,000 personnel took part in inspections carried out at 9,322 points, and over 300 sniffer dogs were used, the ministry stated.
During the inspections, a total of 20 persons, nine of them foreign nationals, were detained on suspicion of being human smugglers.
Some 1,261 irregular migrants were apprehended, and 738 wanted persons were found, including 11 foreign nationals.
Administrative sanctions were imposed on 759 people, including 30 Turkish citizens, and the rest of them foreign nationals.
Turkiye has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
It already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, and is taking new security measures on its borders to humanely prevent a new influx of migrants.
* Writing by Merve Berker