More than 500 stopped crossing illegally into Greece

By Hakan Mehmet Sahin and Durmus Genc

EDIRNE, Turkey

More than 500 migrants were prevented from crossing into Greece from Turkey last week, a border security source said Saturday.

The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on discussing operations with the media, said 534 migrants were apprehended across Edirne province, which also borders Bulgaria, between Sept. 2 and 9.

The migrants, from Syria, Pakistan, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iran, Algeria, Tunisia and Bangladesh, were detained as they attempted to cross into Greece illegally, the source added.

They were taken to Edirne detention center to face possible deportation to their home country.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Coast Guard on Saturday said it had detained 66 migrants attempting to sail to the Greek island of Kos.

An official, speaking under similar conditions of anonymity, said a small boat was stopped off the coast of Mugla province. The passengers from Afghanistan and Bangladesh were taken to an immigration office.

More than a million refugees and migrants traveled from Turkey to Greece last year before an EU-Turkey deal stemmed the flow in March.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 154,000 people have crossed the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece so far this year and 376 have died during the voyage.