Published : 20-08-2019
Turkish authorities have intercepted a total of 330 migrants attempting to cross to the Greek island of Lesbos, officials said on Sunday.
The coastguard in the Küçükkuyu area of the western Çanakkale province said it had conducted seven operations to pick up migrants trying to make the crossing since Saturday evening.
Turkey's seas, particularly the Aegean in the west, have seen a large influx recently with more migrants boarding dinghies to reach Europe. They travel in overcrowded and unsafe boats to reach Greek islands scattered across the Aegean region and only a few kilometers away from Turkish shores. Deaths are common in these crossings as many migrants, despite paying thousands of dollars to smugglers, are forced to travel in rubber boats crowded far beyond their capacity.
In March 2016, the EU and Turkey reached an agreement to stop irregular migration through the Aegean Sea and improve the conditions of the more than 3.5 million refugees from Syria in Turkey. An exchange program to return migrants that previously entered Europe to Turkey and settle Syrian refugees in EU countries failed to curb the migrant flow, as tension continues to strike the MENA region.
Turkish authorities have intercepted a total of 330 migrants attempting to cross to the Greek island of Lesbos, officials said on Sunday.
The coastguard in the Küçükkuyu area of the western Çanakkale province said it had conducted seven operations to pick up migrants trying to make the crossing since Saturday evening.
Turkey's seas, particularly the Aegean in the west, have seen a large influx recently with more migrants boarding dinghies to reach Europe. They travel in overcrowded and unsafe boats to reach Greek islands scattered across the Aegean region and only a few kilometers away from Turkish shores. Deaths are common in these crossings as many migrants, despite paying thousands of dollars to smugglers, are forced to travel in rubber boats crowded far beyond their capacity.
In March 2016, the EU and Turkey reached an agreement to stop irregular migration through the Aegean Sea and improve the conditions of the more than 3.5 million refugees from Syria in Turkey. An exchange program to return migrants that previously entered Europe to Turkey and settle Syrian refugees in EU countries failed to curb the migrant flow, as tension continues to strike the MENA region.
