Turkish Coast Guard rescues 53 irregular migrants off western Turkey
53 irregular migrants were rescued from a boat off the coast of the Karaburun district of Turkey’s western Izmir province, Turkish Coast Guard Command announced in a statement late Tuesday.
The boat carrying 53 irregular migrants were pushed back to Turkish territorial waters by Greek Coast Guard forces, according to the statement.
Historically, Turkey has been a country of origin, transit, and destination for migrants and was a crossroads between Europe and Asia.
Recent regional events have contributed to Turkey increasingly becoming a major destination and transit country for those fleeing conflict, poverty, and disasters.
Turkey hosts one of the largest migrant and refugee populations in the world.
According to the official reports, 113,865 irregular migrants held across the country in 2020. (ILKHA)