Turkey rescues 69 irregular migrants

Turkish Coast Guard units rescue 167 irregular migrants after Greek authorities pushed them into Turkish territorial waters in Izmir, Turkiye on November 29, 2022 [Turkish Coast Guard Command – Anadolu Agency]

Coast guards in western Turkiye rescued 69 irregular migrants forced by Greece to return to Turkish territorial waters.

Citing security sources, the Anadolu news agency’s correspondent reported yesterday that the rescue operation took place off the coast of Izmir , in the west of the country.

The migrants were mainly from Afghanistan and they were handed over to the Immigration Department in the province to complete the necessary legal procedures.

The number of people crossing from the Turkish Aegean coast to Greek islands has risen over the past few weeks. According to the Greek migration ministry, 6,669 migrants were living in the reception centres on the island of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos in mid-August. Their number has more than doubled compared with August last year, when the number was 2,964.

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