By Cemal Asan and Ilkan Toprak
VAN / BALIKESIR / KIRKLARELI, Turkey (AA) – A total of 573 irregular migrants, including women and children, were held across Turkey, security sources said on Monday.
A total of 485 migrants were rounded up in the Gevas, Caldiran, Tusba and Saray districts of the eastern province of Van, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Separately, in the Ayvalik and Karasi districts of the northwestern Balikesir province, police rounded up 31 Afghan and Syrian nationals, including women and children.
Additionally security forces held 57 Pakistan and Afghan irregular migrants in the Demirkoy district of the northwestern Kirklareli province, the source said.
Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011 when the Syrian civil war began.
Of the migrants held in Turkey last year, the majority came from Pakistan — around 15,000 — followed by Afghans at around 12,000. Syrians totaled about 10,000.
There has been a 60 percent increase in migrant flow since 2016. The number was 31,000 in 2016.
