Turkey: Over 250,000 irregular migrants held in 2018

By Muhammed Boztepe </p> <p>MARRAKESH, Morocco (AA) – Turkish security forces have held some 251,794 irregular migrants so far this year, the country’s interior minister said on Monday. </p> <p>Speaking at the Intergovernmental Conference on Global Compact for Migration in Morocco, Suleyman Soylu said: “There is an increase of 56 percent compared to the figures of the first 11 months of last year.”</p> <p>Turkey also deported some 53,860 people and nabbed 5,522 human smugglers this year, he added. </p> <p>Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.</p> <p>Among the migrants held in 2017 in Turkey, the majority came from Pakistan, followed by Afghans and Syrians.</p> <p>During his speech, the interior minister also noted Turkey hosts over 3.6 million Syrians under “temporary protection” status and provides education to 916,074 of them every year.</p> <p>Turkey has spent more than $32 billion from its own national resources for helping and sheltering refugees since the beginning of the Syrian civil war.