Over 160 Asylum Seekers Held In Turkey's Aegean Region

14.09.2021 14:56

Gendarmerie teams also arrest 4 people for alleged human smuggling.

A total of 161 asylum seekers were held in Turkey's Aegean province of Izmir before they crossed into Greece illegally, a local authority said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, the local gendarmerie teams carried out an operation in the Urla district to stop the group before their illegal border crossing, a written statement by the Izmir Governorate said.

Among them held from buses were 45 Pakistanis, 20 Bangladeshis, 93 Afghans, and 3 Syrians.

Four people were arrested for alleged human smuggling and the asylum seekers were sent to the local migration office after routine procedures.

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

Turkey, which already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any country in the world, is taking new security measures on its borders to prevent a fresh influx of migrants. -

In order to provide you with a better service, we position cookies on our site. Your personal data is collected and processed within the scope of KVKK and GDPR. For detailed information, you can review our Data Policy / Disclosure Text. By using our site, you agree to our use of cookies.', '