Turkey stops nearly 800 migrants from crossing EU border – Report

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Turkish gendarmerie had prevented no fewer than 777 migrants attempting to cross the border from Turkey and reach the EU in an operation that started two days, according its State’s  News Agency- Anadolu.

The reports say migrants were caught in Edirne province, which borders Greece and Bulgaria.

The migrants are from Somalia, Morocco, Afghanistan, Syria, Algeria and Bangladesh, according to the agency.

They are being held at the local migration office, the report said.

It was not immediately clear if and when the migrants would be expelled, the reported added.

The reported also indicated that majority of the people were trying to flee the civil war in Syria, as well as conflict in Afghanistan, and they often try to pass through Turkey to reach EU countries.

Under a 2016 deal struck with the EU, Ankara agreed to prevent migrants passing through its territory to Europe, in exchange for financial aid for refugees in Turkey.

Turkey has officially taken in more than 3.5 million refugees from Syria.

During a trip to Bosnia on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Erdogan said security forces had stopped more than a million migrants from crossing the EU border between 2015 and 2017.

According to him, 99 per cent of those who tried to cross were stopped, he said. (dpa/NAN)

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