Nearly 180 undocumented migrants caught in Turkey’s İzmir
İZMIR
Turkish coast guards in the Aegean province of İzmir caught 121 undocumented migrants who were planning to cross into Europe, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 5, citing a security source.
The coast guard teams halted an inflatable boat in the Dikili coastal district and rounded up 64 illegal migrants including Syrians and Pakistanis, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Separately, the teams caught 57 migrants - all of them Syrian nationals - in İzmir’s Çeşme district.
All detained migrants were later transferred to local migration management authorities.
Turkey has in recent years become the main route for migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since the start of the civil war in Syria.
