At least 250 undocumented migrants captured in eastern Turkey

ERZURUM – Anadolu Agency

At least 250 undocumented migrants were captured by the authorities in eastern Turkey on March 29, a security source has said.

Iranian, Afghan and Pakistani migrants were rounded up after police received a tip-off about a group of migrants walking around the bus terminal in Erzurum province, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Following legal procedures in the police station, the migrants - including old women and children - will be taken to the repatriation center in the Askale district, the source added.

Separately on March 28, Turkish security sources said they captured a total of 344 undocumented migrants in western and eastern provinces.

The teams from the provincial police department noticed 100 people preparing to leave the Bodrum district of the southwestern province of Muğla via illegal means, said the sources.

In addition to Erzurum, another 50 migrants were detained in the eastern province of Van, according to a statement by the gendarmerie command in the province.

Of the migrants, 44 Afghan nationals, four Pakistani nationals and two Uzbek nationals were found in an abandoned building.

Turkey has become a key route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.

There has been a 60 percent increase in the migrant flow since 2016, when the number was 31,000.

Among migrants held in Turkey in 2017, the majority (around 15,000) come from Pakistan, followed by Afghans (around 12,000). The number of Syrians is around 10,000.