Turkish gendarmerie rescued 57 irregular migrants who were stranded off the coast of western Çanakkale
Turkish gendarmerie rescued 57 irregular migrants who were stranded off the coast of western Çanakkale province on Monday, according to security sources.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the migrants were preparing to cross to Greece's Lesvos island.
However, they could not set sail due to heavy rain and called the gendarmerie for help, the sources said.
The migrants are from Afghanistan and some other African nations.
Turkish gendarmerie rescue 57 irregular migrants who were stranded off the coast of Turkey's western Canakkale province on November 26, 2018. The migrants were preparing to cross to Greece's Lesvos island, according to security sources. However, they could not set sail due to heavy rain and called the gendarmerie for help, the sources said. The migrants are from Afghanistan and some other African nations.
Turkish gendarmerie rescues 57 migrants from heavy rain
The sources added that the migrants are Afghan, Syrian and Palestinian nationals.
Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.
Some 205,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018 as of Oct. 15, according to the Interior Ministry.