76 irregular migrants held across Turkey

ANKARA

A total of 76 irregular migrants were held across Turkey on Dec. 26, security sources have said.

In the northwestern province of Kırklareli, the gendarmerie received a tip that two groups of migrants were preparing to illegally cross to Bulgaria, said a security source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

At least 19 Afghan nationals were caught in the village of Karamesutlu and near the Dereköy border gate.

In the southern border province of Gaziantep, security forces stopped a vehicle carrying seven Syrians who had come to Turkey illegally.

In the Aegean province of İzmir, a night watchmen in the Konak district held 50 undocumented migrants - including women and children - when they stopped a suspicious vehicle.

The migrants were mostly African nationals.

All the migrants held were sent to regional immigration departments.
Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.