More migrants arrive from Greece, 37 nabbed en route to the country

Turkey received 24 migrants from Greece as part of a deal with the European Union, and captured some 37 headed for the country, over the last two days.

A hub for migrants, due to its proximity to the EU countries and a favorable environment compared to the rest of the Middle East, Turkey struggles to strike a balance between humanitarian concerns and the influx of Syrian refugees.

A total of 19 Syrian migrants were sent back to the southern Turkish city of Adana in a flight from the Greek island of Lesbos. They included six men, three women and 10 unaccompanied minors, of who all but one withdrew their asylum applications. The arrival came one day after five more migrants were sent back from Lesbos to Turkey by sea.

With the latest arrivals, the total number of migrants returned to Turkey since the March deal reached 801 while 410 migrants held in Greek islands were also sent back to their countries as part of a "voluntary return" program.

The EU-Ankara deal aims to stop human smuggling across the Aegean Sea in dinghies. It stipulates the return of "irregular migrants" to Turkey from Greece in exchange for the relocation of Syrian refugees in Turkey to European Union countries.

The capture of the 37 migrants yesterday, however, shows the deal cannot entirely end the illegal immigration. The Turkish Coast Guard intercepted migrants from Syria, Eritrea, Iraq, Mali, Afghanistan and Palestine, as they were trying to cross into the Greek islands from Dikili, a seaside town in Turkey's western province of İzmir.

Over the past year, thousands of people have made the short but dangerous attempt to cross the Aegean Sea, in a bid to reach Greece, before eventually moving on to northern and western Europe.

Bad weather conditions and unsafe boats make the journey extremely dangerous. Still, tempted by the supposed benefits and ignoring the rising xenophobia in Europe, migrants take the perilous journey. Most say they prefer risking their lives instead of staying in their war-torn, poverty-stricken countries. On Tuesday, five migrants perished in the Aegean Sea when their boat sank off the Turkish coast.