Irregular migrants swim, use boats to reach Europe

EDIRNE, Turkey

Many irregular migrants in Turkey’s northwestern border city of Edirne crossed the Meric River to reach a Greek island by swimming or using inflated boats.

Thousands of irregular migrants, who arrived at Edirne, swam or boarded inflated and wooden boats in order to cross to Europe.

The migrants crossing the Meric River were confronted by Greek security forces, who also opened aerial fire in a bid to stop them from entering the island.

At the border, announcements were made in several languages -- including Turkish, Arabic and English -- asking the migrants to stay back.

Some migrants tried extending ropes to the European side in a bid to cross the border using the ropes.

On Feb. 27, 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred and tens of others injured in an airstrike by the Bashar al-Assad regime forces in Idlib, a de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, just across Turkey’s southern border.

Turkish officials announced the next day that they would no longer try to stop irregular migrants from reaching Europe.

Turkey already hosts nearly four million migrants from Syria alone, more than any other country, and has complained that Europe failed to keep promises to help migrants.

* Writing by Firdevs Bulut