Two hundred seventy-three migrant smugglers have been caught in operations across 51 provinces of Türkiye, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Wednesday.
Some 98 of the 273 smugglers caught have been detained in the operations against irregular migration and migrant smugglers in the past two weeks, Yerlikaya wrote on social media.
The minister indicated that the operations were carried out by the provincial police departments' anti-smuggling and border gates branch directorates under the coordination of the Migration Management Directorate and the General Directorate of Security's Department of Combating Migrant Smuggling.
"(Some) 273 migrant smuggling organizers and 1,022 irregular migrants were caught. Ninety-eight of the migrant smuggling organizers were arrested. The procedures for the others are continuing."
He added that procedures to send back the irregular migrants were similarly ongoing.
“Türkiye coming forth as a model for the whole world in the management of migration, which is tied to values such as human rights and freedoms, law and civilisation, while not compromising its public order and security,” Yerlikaya underlined. “We address the issue of migration in all its dimensions, including regular and irregular migration, international protection, voluntary, safe and dignified return, combating migrant smuggling and border management.”
Türkiye once hosted two-thirds of the world's total Syrian refugee population. At its peak, there were more than 3.8 million Syrian refugees in Türkiye.
Some preferred to cross into Europe illegally in pursuit of better lives. In the early years of the Syrian civil war, Türkiye housed thousands of refugees in tent camps and container cities in its southeastern towns, but over time, most refugees settled elsewhere, setting up new lives, particularly in big cities in western Türkiye.
Türkiye boosted security in its land borders while coast guard patrols were increased amid the influx, especially in the Aegean Sea, where Türkiye and Greece, the main gateway to Europe for migrants, are littoral.
Some migrants make the dangerous journey over land or sea with the assistance of smugglers, who often abandon them, especially during sea journeys, after receiving thousands of dollars from each migrant. Others are stopped by Turkish security forces before crossing the border into Europe.
In some cases, neighboring Greece is accused of pushing back migrants in a controversial practice. In the Aegean Sea, Greek coast guard boats often drive out approaching migrant boats to the Greek islands.
Over the past five years, 105,437 migrants were intercepted in Turkish seas and rescued by the Coast Guard Command as they headed into rough seas that have claimed many lives over the years.
