Turkiye deported nearly 120,000 irregular migrants in 2022, official data shows

Turkish Coast Guard units rescue 167 irregular migrants after Greek authorities pushed them into Turkish territorial waters in Izmir, Turkiye. [Turkish Coast Guard Command – Anadolu Agency]

Turkiye deported 119,817 irregular migrants so far this year as its efforts to combat irregular migration continue uninterruptedly, Anadolu reports.

This was the highest number of deportations in Turkiye’s history, said the Turkish Interior Ministry’s Presidency of Migration Management in a statement

The number of those deported increased by 159% compared to the same period in 2021, the statement added.

With the recent figures, the number of irregular migrants deported since 2016 has reached 445,326.

Over 2.7 million irregular migrants have been denied entry to Turkiye since 2016, while the figure for this year stands at 274,311.

Turkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants aiming to cross to Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

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