Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Tuesday revealed security forces have apprehended over 1,400 irregular migrants throughout Eid al-Adha, also known as the Qurban Bayram holiday.
Authorities of 165 mobile migration points across 60 provinces conducted 35,159 identity checks and registered 1,456 migrants, including 75 in Istanbul, Yerlikaya said on X.
The migrants have since been taken to provincial migration directorates for deportation.
“Türkiye will not allow irregular migrants or human smugglers trying to turn it into a hub of irregular migration,” Yerlikaya added.
Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Every year, hundreds of thousands of migrants flee civil conflict or economic hardship in their home countries with the hope of reaching Europe.
Some migrants make dangerous journeys over land or sea with the assistance of smugglers, who often abandon them, especially during sea journeys, after receiving thousands of dollars from each migrant. Others are stopped by Turkish security forces before crossing the border into Europe.
In some cases, neighboring Greece is accused of pushing back migrants in a controversial practice. In the Aegean Sea, Greek coast guard boats often drive out approaching migrant boats to the Greek islands.
In 2023, authorities intercepted 254,000 irregular migrants and arrested 3,744 migrant smuggling organizers.
Türkiye, which already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, is taking new measures at its borders to prevent a fresh influx of migrants, balancing a humanitarian policy and the need to stop thousands from risking their lives.
As most irregular migrants try to infiltrate Türkiye through its eastern borders, the country recently began constructing a security wall. Authorities say 80% of the wall and a 1,234-kilometer (767-mile) patrolling strip next to the wall are completed, with the remaining section set to be completed within the year.
The Directorate of Migration set up “mobile migration points” to speed up the processing of irregular migrants. The migration points, the first of their kind in the world, help law enforcement in the field check for irregular migrants.
