Illegal immigrants caught on wildlife camera traps
Set up to track endangered wild animals, camera traps in a national park in western Turkey have detected another desperate group yesterday: Illegal immigrants seeking to cross into Greece. Sixteen migrants, including six children, were intercepted by security forces when national park authorities seeing them in camera traps alerted police in Kuşadası, a town on the Aegean shore.
The group, which included Syrian and Afghan nationals, was brought to the local migration authority center.
A statement by the local governorate also revealed how desperate the migrants were to cross to nearby Greek islands, their gateway to Europe. "Adoree Muhammed, a pregnant immigrant in the group, had declared false identities four times when she was intercepted. She was previously intercepted in Hakkari (a southeastern province bordering with Iraq), in Didim and Çeşme (two Aegean towns situated close to the Greek islands like Kuşadası)."
Turkey's Aegean shores have long been a hub for migrants, mostly from war-torn Syria, who seek to reach Europe where social benefits for migrants attract thousands every year. Intercepted Syrian migrants are often sent to refugee camps near the Syrian border.
Kuşadası was at the center of a tragedy for migrants last week. Eleven migrants, including five children who set off from the Kuşadası coast last Friday, perished when their rubber boat sank off the shore. Nine survivors were pulled from the area by the Turkish Coast Guard.
The number of migrants reaching Europe from Turkey has grown in recent years as conflicts in the Middle East continue to worsen.
Thousands from Syria, where the ongoing civil war has displaced a large portion of the population, have taken shelter in Turkey, which hosts around 3 million refugees, the largest in the world in terms of refugee population in a country.
As the country struggles to address their needs, many seek to reach wealthy European countries, particularly Germany. Last year, Turkey signed a deal with the European Union to curb the refugee flow via the sea route, which was regarded as safer despite the dangers overcrowded dinghies face in open waters.
After the deal which resulted in tighter control of the migrant influx to nearby Greece from Turkey, the number of illegal immigrants attempting to cross into Europe decreased dramatically. Still, some migrants, mostly from Syria, continue using the perilous route as Turkey's land borders with Europe are more tightly guarded, and most eastern European countries have taken extra steps, such as erecting new fences, to stop the migrant flow.
The group, which included Syrian and Afghan nationals, was brought to the local migration authority center.
A statement by the local governorate also revealed how desperate the migrants were to cross to nearby Greek islands, their gateway to Europe. "Adoree Muhammed, a pregnant immigrant in the group, had declared false identities four times when she was intercepted. She was previously intercepted in Hakkari (a southeastern province bordering with Iraq), in Didim and Çeşme (two Aegean towns situated close to the Greek islands like Kuşadası)."
Turkey's Aegean shores have long been a hub for migrants, mostly from war-torn Syria, who seek to reach Europe where social benefits for migrants attract thousands every year. Intercepted Syrian migrants are often sent to refugee camps near the Syrian border.
Kuşadası was at the center of a tragedy for migrants last week. Eleven migrants, including five children who set off from the Kuşadası coast last Friday, perished when their rubber boat sank off the shore. Nine survivors were pulled from the area by the Turkish Coast Guard.
The number of migrants reaching Europe from Turkey has grown in recent years as conflicts in the Middle East continue to worsen.
Thousands from Syria, where the ongoing civil war has displaced a large portion of the population, have taken shelter in Turkey, which hosts around 3 million refugees, the largest in the world in terms of refugee population in a country.
As the country struggles to address their needs, many seek to reach wealthy European countries, particularly Germany. Last year, Turkey signed a deal with the European Union to curb the refugee flow via the sea route, which was regarded as safer despite the dangers overcrowded dinghies face in open waters.
After the deal which resulted in tighter control of the migrant influx to nearby Greece from Turkey, the number of illegal immigrants attempting to cross into Europe decreased dramatically. Still, some migrants, mostly from Syria, continue using the perilous route as Turkey's land borders with Europe are more tightly guarded, and most eastern European countries have taken extra steps, such as erecting new fences, to stop the migrant flow.
Last Update: March 29, 2017 01:03