Forty-four Afghan illegal migrants were rescued after they sent a distress call to local authorities when their rubber boat started drifting yesterday in northwestern Turkey.

Migrants including 10 children were trying to cross to Greece from the Turkish province of Edirne via Enez on the northernmost tip of the Aegean Sea. The Turkish Coast Guard evacuated the group to safety.

Security forces intercepted 74,824 illegal migrants last year in Edirne. This is almost more than double the number of migrants stopped near the border or in the center of the province in 2016. Authorities say the majority of those seeking to cross into Europe via Edirne, which also borders Bulgaria, were Pakistani nationals.

Enez is not a popular route for migrants though some still take it to reach Europe. Most migrants going by sea prefer cities further south.