Nearly 2,000 irregular migrants apprehended

ANKARA

Nearly 2,000 irregular migrants were caught and over 1,000 were deported between Jan. 1 and 5, the Directorate of Migration Management has announced.

“Between Jan. 1 and 5, 1,983 irregular migrants were caught, 1,028 irregular migrants were deported and 1,889 irregular migrants were prevented from entering our country. The deportation proceedings of 20,588 foreigners continue,” the directorate tweeted.

The country has become one of the key transit points for migrants looking to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

The number of illegal migrants deported since 2016 surpassed 427,000. While the deportation success rate is around 11 percent in Europe, this figure reached 70 percent in Türkiye.

A total of 66,534 Afghan citizens were returned to their country last year, including 44,433 with 234 charter flights and nearly 22,101 with scheduled flights.

In addition, a total of 12,385 Pakistanis were deported via two charter flights and scheduled flights.

Thanks to the security measures taken at the border gates, over 274,311 illegal migrants were prevented from entering the country in 2022.