Turkish gendarmerie forces captured a total of 115 migrant smugglers in two-week-long countrywide operations, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Monday.
“49 of these suspects were arrested while 15 were released on probation and processing is underway for others,” Yerlikaya said in a statement on X.
Raids also seized unlicensed weapons and 78 vehicles, according to the minister.
The minister vowed to continue the fight against migrant smuggling and irregular migration for the peace and security of the country.
Türkiye has caught over 1.1 million irregular migrants within its borders since 2020, according to official figures from the Interior Ministry. The largest number of irregular migrants in the past five years were Afghan nationals, followed by Syrians, data has shown.
Figures reveal an upward trajectory in irregular arrivals in Türkiye from 2020 to 2023 before dropping significantly in 2024. Authorities caught 122,302 migrants in 2020, 162,996 in 2021, 285,027 in 2022, 254,008 in 2023 and 175,786 so far in 2024. In October alone, some 5,132 irregular migrants were caught in the country.
Türkiye has also expanded its crackdown on migrant smuggling, capturing 31,931 smugglers between 2020 and 2023. As of Oct. 10, 2024, some 9,761 smugglers have been detained nationwide.
Türkiye has been a migration destination, especially in the past decade, and currently hosts more than 4.4 million residents of foreign origin. It hosts more than 3.1 million Syrians under temporary protection, while another 228,290 people stay in the country under the status of international protection.
European countries have remained attractive to migrants from African and Asian countries in the past decade, and Türkiye is a transit route for thousands of asylum-seekers looking to cross over to Greece from its western coasts.
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.
Similarly, on Monday, the Turkish Coast Guard said it rescued 37 irregular migrants, including 14 children, on two life rafts off the coast of western Muğla province after they were pushed back by Greek elements.
The number of intercepted irregular migrants has been on the rise since 2020, in proportion to more efficient work by the coast guard.
As part of recently revived talks to mend long-tense bilateral ties, Greece and Türkiye are floating a renewal of a 2016 EU deal restricting migration.