Nearly 29,000 irregular migrants deported in five months

ANKARA

Turkey has deported 28,581 irregular migrants since the new year, the Presidency of Migration Management, affiliated with the country’s Interior Ministry, has said.

In a statement issued on May 24, the institution expressed, “Compared to the same period last year, deportation of the irregular migrants has increased by 70 percent.”

According to the statement, those “entering the country illegally,” “working without official permits,” “causing threat to public security and health,” and “overstayers” are being extradited.

Afghanistan topped the list of the irregular migrants’ list.

“Some 19,000 irregular migrants are kept at deportation centers. Some 10,700 of them are Afghans, some 2,700 Pakistanis and some 1,800 are Syrians,” the institution added.

The institution also highlighted that the country did not allow illegal entrances from the east and the southeastern borders during the first five months of this year.

“Some 153,088 irregular migrants have been prevented from entering Turkey illegally.”

The total number has been more than 2.6 million since 2016.