At least 235 irregular migrants were intercepted across Turkey, security sources said Tuesday.

In the northwestern province of Tekirdağ, nine irregular migrants were held in the Süleymanpaşa district by gendarmerie forces during regular patrols. Security forces also arrested two alleged human smugglers. In another operation, one migrant in a truck was intercepted by gendarmerie forces during regular patrols in the eastern Elazığ province. Some other 225 irregular migrants were stopped by gendarmerie forces in the northwestern Edirne province, bordering Greece and Bulgaria. All the migrants were later referred to provincial migration directorates.

Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011, when the Syrian civil war began. Some 265,000 illegal migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry. The illegal migrants were mostly Afghan, Pakistani, Syrian and Iraqi nationals.