Turkey detains 149 migrants on route to Greece
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E-mail Xinhua, July 14, 2015
Turkish police captured on Monday a total of 149 migrants who were trying to sail in two separate operations from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos, private Bugun news reported.
Early on Monday morning, the Turkish coast guards also detained 101 migrants who were trying to sail to the Greek island from near the coast of Ayvacik in Canakkale province in western Turkey, the report said, adding that they were reportedly from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria.
Meanwhile, 48 more migrants were caught in Ayvalik town of Balikesir province in western Turkey at the same day. They were trying to sail to Lesbos when the Turkish coast guards detected a boat heading to Lesbos, which is located close to the Turkish border in the Aegean Sea.
The migrants, including women and children, came from Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Eritrea, the report said, adding that the migrants were taken into custody.
Both groups of migrants are expected to be deported following legal proceedings and health checks, said the report.
Turkey, located between Asia and Europe, has become a major transit point for Middle Eastern and Asian migrant refugees fleeing poverty or conflict in their home countries. The Aegean Sea is one of the most frequently used routes for migrants trying to reach European countries.
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