Türkiye deported 119,817 irregular migrants so far this year as its efforts to combat irregular migration continue uninterruptedly, according to the Interior Ministry's Presidency of Migration Management.
In a statement, the presidency said that this was the highest number of deportations in Türkiye's history.
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 Türkiye since 2016, while the figure for this year stands at 274,311.
Türkiye has been a key transit point for asylum-seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Türkiye hosts nearly 5 million refugees – more than any country in the world. After the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, Türkiye adopted an “open-door policy” for people fleeing the conflict, granting them “temporary protection” status.
Afghans are believed to be the second-largest refugee community in Türkiye after Syrians. Many of the migrants arriving via Iran are heading for Istanbul to find work or passage to another coastal city from which to embark for Europe.
