By Erdal Turkoglu and Kemal Ozdemir
ERZINCAN/HATAY, Turkey (AA) – At least 74 undocumented migrants were held on Thursday during anti-human trafficking operations across Turkey, according to security sources.
Forty-five Afghan nationals were held in northeastern Erzincan province during simultaneous operations targeting 31 houses, according to security sources who refused to be named due to restriction on speaking to the media.
In southern Hatay province, 29 Syrians who were trying to cross into Turkey using illegal routes were held by security forces.
The migrants will be transferred to the regional immigration department.
Turkey has been a main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, since especially the beginning of the civil war in Syria.
So far, hundreds of thousands of people have made a short but perilous journeys across the Aegean to reach northern and western Europe.