Security forces patrolling a border area in Edirne, a northwestern province bordering Greece and Bulgaria, intercepted 22 illegal migrants Sunday. They were discovered in the Bosnaköy district by gendarmerie troops and included Palestinian, Libyan and Nigerian nationals.

All were taken to a center for migrants for legal procedures. Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.

Some 265,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry. The illegal migrants were mostly Afghan, Pakistani, Syrian and Iraqi nationals.