At least 58 irregular migrants were held Tuesday off the coast of Dikili district in Turkey’s Aegean province of Izmir, according to the coast guard sources.
The migrants — including women and children — were held in a rubber boat, said a security source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media. At least 42 Syrians, 8 Iraqis and 8 Palestinian nationals were referred to provincial migration offices.
Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011 when the Syrian civil war began.
More than 265,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry.