37 illegal migrants caught off Çanakkale

ÇANAKKALE

Turkish Coast Guard teams have intercepted a rubber boat carrying 37 illegal migrants from Afghanistan in motion off the coast of Ayvacık district in the northwestern province of Çanakkale.

Acting on information about the presence of a group of illegal migrants in a boat, the coast guard promptly dispatched the TCSG-84 ship to the area. The vessel intercepted the boat and apprehended the individuals onboard, all of whom were from Afghanistan.

Following the interception, the illegal migrants were transported to the coast guard station in the nearby town of Küçükkuyu for further processing. Subsequently, they were handed over to the removal center in Ayvacık to undergo the necessary legal procedures.

This incident comes in the wake of another operation conducted last week, where the teams were alerted about multiple rubber boats carrying illegal immigrants in four different regions off Ayvacık. As a result of those actions, a total of 170 illegal migrants from various countries, including Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Palestine and Somalia, were apprehended.

The country has become one of the key transit points for migrants looking to cross into Europe in search of better lives, particularly those fleeing war-torn regions and persecution.

Thousands come to Greece via Türkiye over the narrow and perilous sea, as over 60 people perished in the eastern Mediterranean last year, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.