Nearly 90 irregular migrants held in Aegean Turkey

By Esber Ayaydin</p> <p>IZMIR/AYDIN, Turkey (AA) – At least 88 irregular migrants were held in Turkey's Aegean region, security sources said on Sunday.</p> <p>A group of 22 Afghan, 17 Iraqi and five Syrian nationals in a rubber boat were held by gendarmerie forces off Cesme, Izmir, said a security source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.</p> <p>In a separate operation in the Aegean Aydin province, a group of 44 migrants in a rubber boat were held off the Menderes Delta by the Turkish Coast Guard.</p> <p>All the migrants were later referred to provincial migration directorates.</p> <p>Six people were also arrested on suspicion of human smuggling.</p> <p>Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross to Europe, especially since 2011, when the Syrian civil war began.</p> <p>Some 265,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry.