Turkish authorities say they have stopped nearly 190,000 migrants from reaching the EU by boat in the past five years. This comes as the government has tightened its migration policy.
In 2024 alone, a total of 38,411 migrants have been intercepted at sea by Turkish authorities so far this year, according to the Anadolu Agency (AA). Another 296 people suspected of organizing migrant smuggling have been detained by the coast guard, while the bodies of 40 migrants have been retrieved in search and rescue missions.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said last month that the government was paying close attention to securing its borders on land and at sea and that it had spent 950 million dollars since January, with a further 136 million dollars in the pipeline for the remainder of the year.
