Pakistanis among 132 illegal migrants detained in Turkey

ISTANBUL: Turkish security forces have detained 132 migrants who entered the country illegally, Anatolia news agency reported on Friday. In the northwestern province of Edirne near the border with Greece and Bulgaria, paramilitary police detained 66 people, mostly from Pakistan and Iraq, the agency said. An additional 35 people from Pakistan, Iran and Iraq were detained in the northwestern province of Canakkale, Anatolia said. Those migrants had apparently been trying to sneak into nearby Greece. In the eastern province of Van, near the Iranian border, paramilitary police also detained 29 Pakistanis and two other people from Bangladesh, Anatolia reported. Anatolia said all of the migrants had entered Turkey illegally and were expected to be deported. Thousands of illegal migrants cross through Turkey on their way to prosperous European Union nations. In recent years, Turkish security forces have stepped up security measures against illegal migration, partly in response to calls from the EU. ap

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