UPDATES WITH MORE FIGURES
By Ozgun Tiran and Hakan Mehmet Sahin
KIRKLARELI, Turkey (AA) - A total of 171 undocumented migrants, who were attempting to illegally cross into Europe, have been held in northwest Turkey, according to security officials Wednesday.
42 migrants, including Afghans, Iraqis, Syrians and Pakistanis, were rounded up in two districts of the province of Kirklareli, one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media, said.
The undocumented people were later taken to a provincial migration authority along with two others, who were allegedly organizers of the illegal border crossing bid.
Separately, some 129 undocumented migrants, including Iranians, Afghans, Pakistanis, Palestinians and Syrians, were also held during the police raid in the districts of Orhankoy, Bosnakoy and Ipsala in the northwestern province of Edirne.
Migrants were trying to reach Europe through illegal means, another security official said.
In the last 10 years, Edirne has seen rise in migrants from Pakistan, Syria, Palestine, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Morocco, Iran and Iraq. In 2017 alone, 50,000 migrants and refugees from 50 different countries have been held by Turkish security units.
There has been 60 percent increase in migrant flow since 2016; the number was 31,000 in 2016.