Turkish security forces have detained 1,773 irregular migrants looking to cross the country into the European Union over the past week, Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu reported on Monday, citing data from the country's security sources
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2020) Turkish security forces have detained 1,773 irregular migrants looking to cross the country into the European Union over the past week, Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu reported on Monday, citing data from the country's security sources.
The bulk of the apprehensions were made in regions adjacent to Turkey's land border with Greece and Bulgaria, as well as Turkey's western coast, which is a common departure point for migrants seeking to reach the Greek Aegean Islands.
According to the agency, 700 migrants were detained in the northwestern province of Edirne, neighboring Greece and Bulgaria. The combined forces of the Turkish coastguard and police also apprehended 563 migrants on Turkey's western coasts in the provinces of Balikesir and Canakkale.
After being sent to health facilities, all of the detainees were referred to migration offices, the agency said.
In 2016, Turkey signed a landmark 6 billion euro ($6.6 billion) deal with the European Union to help curb the Europe-bound migrant flow. According to the terms of the agreement, migrants arriving on Greek islands would be returned to Turkey if they were unsuccessful in their attempts to apply for asylum in Greece. In return, EU states agreed to accept one Syrian refugee from Turkey for every returned migrant. Since the deal was signed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated that EU countries are not doing enough to provide aid and resettlement for EU-bound migrants.
