Turkish authorities stop 330 migrants attempting to cross to Greek island

Record ID: 1427631

  • Title: Turkish authorities stop 330 migrants attempting to cross to Greek island
  • Date: 18th August 2019
  • Summary: KUCUKKUYU, TURKEY (AUGUST 17, 2019) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) COAST GUARD BOAT CARRYING MIGRANTS ARRIVING AT PORT MIGRANTS GETTING OFF (DAY SHOTS) COAST GUARD SHIP SAILING AT SEA MIGRANTS BEING TRANSFERRED TO COAST GUARD BOAT BOAT CARRYING MIGRANTS SAILING TO PORT VARIOUS OF BOAT DOCKING AT PORT WOMEN AND CHILDREN DISEMBARKING U.N. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF MIGRATION OFFICIALS GIVING BLANKETS TO MIGRANTS MIGRANTS LINED UP TO BE TRANSFERRED TO REPATRIATION CENTRE WOMEN AND CHILDREN SITTING KUCUKKUYU, TURKEY (AUGUST 18, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COST GUARD BOATS CARRYING SEIZED MIGRANTS SAILING TO PORT
  • Embargoed: 1st September 2019 11:55
  • Keywords: Turkey migrants Lesbos Greece
  • Location: KUCUKKUYU, TURKEY
  • City: KUCUKKUYU, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001ASQV4UF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Turkish authorities have stopped a total of 330 migrants attempting to cross to the Greek island of Lesbos, officials said on Sunday (August 18).
    The coastguard in the Kucukkuyu area of the western Canakkale province said it had conducted seven operations to pick up migrants trying to make the crossing since Saturday evening.
    The migrants were Afghan, Syrian, Iranian and Iraqi nationals, it said, adding that the number attempting to cross to Lesbos had surged recently and that 699 people had been seized since Aug. 10.
    Mediterranean arrivals into the European Union, including migrants making the longer and more perilous crossing from North Africa to Italy, totalled 172,301 in 2017, down from 362,753 in 2016 and over a million in 2015, according to U.N. data.
    Numbers declined sharply since 2015 after Turkey, in exchange for 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in European Union aid and a promise to ease visa restrictions for Turks, began to exert more control on migrants trying to cross to the EU via its territory. Yet many still attempt the short but perilous sea trip and Turkey remains one of the main launch points.
    (Production: Yesim Dikmen, Mehmet Emin Caliskan)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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