87 Irregular Migrants Held In Southern Turkey

At least 87 irregular migrants who entered Turkey illegally were held in two southern provinces, security sources said on Wednesday.

Police stopped a passenger bus in the Haci Sabanci Organized Industrial Zone in the Adana province and held 45 foreign nationals for illegally entering the country, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The bus drivers were also detained.

Another group of 42 irregular migrants were held in the Osmaniye province, according to the provincial governorate.

Irregular migrants, including 36 Afghan and six Pakistani nationals, were found on a vehicle that was stopped for a search on the Osmaniye-Gaziantep highway, according to security sources.

The migrants were transferred to the provincial migration management directorates.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

The country hosts nearly 4 million refugees, including over 3.6 million Syrians, more than any other country in the world.


Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara. -