30 migrants rescued off the coast of Muğla
MUĞLA
Turkish authorities have rescued a total of 30 illegal migrants off the coast of the western province of Muğla’s Datça district, as Greek officials pushed their life rafts back to Turkish territorial waters, the country’s coast guard command has announced.
The teams arrived at the scene upon receiving reports of two life rafts floating off the coast of the district, the Turkish Coast Guard said. They then swiftly rescued 30 irregular immigrants, eight of whom consisted of children.
While two individuals on the life rafts were taken into custody on suspicion of smuggling migrants, foreign nationals were transferred to the provincial directorate of migration management following the required processes.
Most irregular migrants choose to use illegal routes across the Aegean Sea to enter Europe, as several Greek islands are located close to the Turkish coast.
In recent years, the country has intensified its efforts to combat illegal immigration, apprehending thousands of irregular migrants and human traffickers both on land and at sea each month.
