Turkish authorities intercepted 656 irregular migrants in nationwide operations, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Friday. In the Aegean Sea, 57 migrants risking their lives to reach Greece were also rescued by the coast guard.
Yerlikaya said more than 26,000 security personnel participated in the “Shield-36” operation across the country and that it also netted 52 people, including 32 foreigners involved in migrant smuggling. The minister said in a social media post that they checked 402,609 IDs to detect irregular migrants in 15,616 locations. He noted that irregular migrants were being sent back to their countries of origin.
“Türkiye demonstrates an exemplary model to the world in its migration management, which respects human rights and freedom, adheres to legal and civic values, as well as public order and security. We tackle the migration issue in all its aspects, from regular to irregular migration, to international protection, voluntary, safe and dignified returns, border management and the fight against migrant smuggling,” the minister said.
Off the coast of Ayvalık in the western province of Balıkesir, Turkish coast guard teams rescued 57 irregular migrants after they were pushed back into Turkish waters by Greek authorities while attempting to reach the island of Lesbos illegally.
Coast guard teams were alerted after receiving a report that four inflatable boats carrying irregular migrants were drifting due to engine failure. The teams, deployed with coast guard vessels, reached the area and rescued the irregular migrants from the drifting boats, including five children. The migrants were transferred to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for further processing.
Greece, one of the gateways into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, has been accused by aid groups of forcibly ejecting migrants at its sea and land borders, also known as “pushbacks,” an illegal practice.
Türkiye itself is 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. Turkish security forces stop others before crossing the border into Europe.
The latest statistics, between 2010 and 2023, show Türkiye rescued 184,175 irregular migrants from its seas after they put their lives in danger with the hope of reaching Europe. Some 923 migrants, on the other hand, ended up dead on perilous journeys in the same period, while 503 people remain unaccounted for after their boats sank.