UPDATE - 55 irregular migrants held in Turkey

UPDATES WITH MORE MIGRANTS HELD

By Abdullah Ozkul and Esber Ayaydin

NIGDE/IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - At least 55 irregular migrants have been held in central Nigde and western Izmir provinces, according to security sources on Friday.

Twenty-eight migrants -- among them Syrian, Pakistani and Afghan nationals -- were held in Ulukisla district, said a source, who requested not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

While one Syrian national received a temporary ID and was released, the remaining migrants were referred to provincial repatriation centers.

Separately in Dikili district of western Izmir province, Turkish coast guards held 27 migrants, including Syrians, Somalians and Palestinians, another source said.

Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011 when the Syrian civil war began.

Of the migrants held in Turkey last year, the majority came from Pakistan -- around 15,000 -- followed by Afghans at around 12,000. Syrians totaled about 10,000. There has been a 60-percent increase in migrant flow since 2016. The number was 31,000 in 2016.